National Latina Institute for Reproductive Health Supports White House Regulations for Health Care Reform

The National Latina Institute for Reproductive Health (NLIRH) supports White House regulations released Wednesday that will eliminate co-pays and deductibles for some preventative services in all new insurance plans as of September 23, 2010. Medicaid and Medicare changes will take effect on January 1, 2011. This major achievement in health care reform will lower the overall cost of health care for women.
“As the only national organization representing the reproductive health and justice of Latinas, NLIRH is thrilled that the new regulations will allow an estimated 31 million people with new insurance plans to access services that ensure a healthy pregnancy – including iron, hepatitis B screenings, well-baby and well-child visits,” said Silvia Henriquez, executive director of NLIRH. “These health care regulations are particularly important to Latinas since they also include screening for cervical cancer, a highly preventable disease that affects Latinas twice that of white women.”
Latinas have the second-highest mortality rate from cervical cancer after Black women.
NLIRH anticipates a second round of regulations regarding women’s preventative care to be released by August 2011. NLIRH is working to ensure that contraception will be covered as a preventative service under those new rules.
“We urge the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to include affordable access to birth control under the health reform law.”
“Our research shows that Latinas want the full range of birth control options available to them, from the birth control pill to condoms to intrauterine devices (IUDs),” added Henriquez. “If birth control services, supplies and visits are included as basic, preventative care under health care reform, Latinas, who are disproportionately poor, will have increased access to the full range of family planning services that they need to build healthier families and communities.”
To learn more about health care reform and its impact on Latinas, please visit www.latinainstitute.org