Today, we received this release from our grant partner, California Latinas for Reproductive Justice. We wanted to share it with you on this historic day.
Today, we join our allies in celebrating the Supreme Court’s decision to uphold the Affordable Care Act (ACA). It is a human rights victory for the millions of people in California and throughout the United States who will benefit from greater access to health care services.
“This historic decision will change the lives of over 2 million Latinas and Latinos in California,” stated Laura Jiménez, Executive Director. “Over 70% uninsured Latinas and Latinos in the state will have access to affordable health care.” More specifically, nearly 43% of uninsured Latinas and Latinos in California will be eligible for Medi-Cal and another 30% will be eligible to purchase insurance through the state exchange. This is significant as no other group is more impacted than Latinas/os in California.
At CLRJ, our mission is to advance the reproductive health and rights of Latinas in the state of California. Currently, Latinas are the most uninsured group in the state, with 4 out of 10 of us lacking insurance. Under the Affordable Care Act, more Latinas will have access to affordable comprehensive contraceptive care, including an annual well-woman care exam, screening for sexually-transmitted infections, breastfeeding counseling and equipment, screening for gestational diabetes, and screening and counseling for intimate partner violence, among other critical health care services. This is extremely important for Latinas who are disproportionately impacted by breast cancer and cervical cancer.
While we applaud today’s decision, in California and nationally, we must continue to fight to ensure inclusion of our undocumented brothers and sisters in health reform efforts. Just over a quarter of uninsured Latinas/os will be excluded due to citizenship and immigrant clauses that prohibit undocumented residents from participating in public programs, receiving tax credits and using their own money to purchase coverage through the Exchange. “Notwithstanding this week’s setback on SB 1070, today’s decision moves us in the right direction to secure basic human rights for all people, and provides hope as we continue the fight for the health and justice of all immigrants,” stated Marisol Franco, Director of Policy & Advocacy.
Just as no human being is illegal, no human being is undeserving of quality and affordable health care – this is a right, not a privilege.
CLRJ and our partners will continue to work on implementation to make sure that all people in California will be able to take advantage of health benefits available through the Affordable Care Act, from health coverage to individual and community wellness promotion.
Today we celebrate this victory and this monumental movement towards affordable health care for all!
For Health & Justice,
the CLRJ Team