Our Issues: Access to Health Care

Latinas have a deep stake in the future of health care reform in the United States.

Take action! Download this action kit about health care reform to learn what's at stake and make sure your representatives know that you want legislation which meets the needs of women and immigrants.

As politicians debate how best to address the problem of rising health care costs and whether to reauthorize certain government-subsidized health programs, Latinas continue to face barriers to accessing their very basic reproductive health care needs. Latinas have the highest rate of uninsured amongst all women in the US: 38% of Latinas are uninsured compared to 13% of white women. Approximately 12% of Latinas use Medicaid for their health care needs, which limit access to abortion care under the Hyde Amendment.

Not all Latinas are able to enroll in publicly funded programs like Medicaid, even when seeking basic services such as family planning, gynecological exams or testing for sexually transmitted infections. Many Latinas who meet income eligibility standards for Medicaid are often denied access to these public services due to their immigration status. If they are undocumented or are legal permanent residents with less than five years in the US, they are barred from accessing federally-funded care under Medicaid. In addition, those who have access to care may face language barriers with their health care provider or encounter a provider who is not culturally sensitive.

These barriers demonstrate the need for Latinas to engage in the current debate for health care reform. The National Latina Institute for Reproductive Health (NLIRH) supports healthcare reform that would move our current system toward one that will improve the health, and well-being of all Latinas, their families and communities. NLIRH embraces a human rights approach to health care, ensuring that all health services are accessible, available, affordable and of good quality for everyone, on an equitable basis, free from discrimination. Health care reform can take many paths, and it is important that the needs of all Latinas, including immigrant women, women of color and low-income women are front and center.