Latino media giants Telemundo, Univision, and ImpreMedia made history today as they came together with the Asegúrate campaign to host President Obama’s first-ever Spanish language town hall on the Affordable Care Act (ACA). Streaming live from the Newseum in Washington, D.C., and broadcast on both Univision and Telemundo, the town hall was an opportunity for the Latino community to learn more about the ACA.
The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) says that over 10 million uninsured Latinos are eligible for coverage under the ACA and are vital to the success of the law. President Obama stressed that open enrollment would close on March 31st and that they should get signed up by either visiting the Health Insurance Marketplace website, calling the Health Insurance Marketplace hotline, or by visiting one of the many local groups offering enrollment support such as a Community Health Center.
“You are not punishing me by not signing up. You are punishing yourself,” said President Obama.
A big concern among the Latino community addressed at the town hall was the issue of mixed-immigration status families. The President underscored that any information shared when signing up for coverage is confidential.
President Obama also talked about the challenge of Medicaid expansion. In some of the states with the highest Latino populations—like Texas and Florida—the state government has opted not to expand, leaving a coverage gap. People who fall into the gap are too poor to qualify to enroll in the Health Insurance Marketplace but also their income is too high to qualify for Medicaid leaving them uninsured.
To watch the town hall in Spanish visit: http://noticias.univision.com/en-vivo/