Latinos being left behind in health care overhaul

Jane Delgado, president of the National Alliance for Hispanic Health, works in her office in Washington, Monday, March 24, 2014. The nation’s largest minority group risks being left behind by President Barack Obama’s health care overhaul. Hispanics account for nearly one-third of the nation’s uninsured, but all signs indicate that they remain largely on the sidelines as the White House races to meet a goal of 6 million sign-ups with less than a week to enroll. (AP Photo/ Evan Vucci)

Jane Delgado, president of the National Alliance for Hispanic Health, works in her office in Washington, Monday, March 24, 2014. The nation’s largest minority group risks being left behind by President Barack Obama’s health care overhaul. Hispanics account for nearly one-third of the nation’s uninsured, but all signs indicate that they remain largely on the sidelines as the White House races to meet a goal of 6 million sign-ups with less than a week to enroll. (AP Photo/ Evan Vucci)

This screenshot made Nov. 26, 2013, shows the Department of Health and Human Services’ web page for the Spanish language version HealthCare.gov. The nation’s largest minority group risks being left behind by President Barack Obama’s health care overhaul. Hispanics account for about one-third of the nation’s uninsured, but all signs indicate that they remain largely on the sidelines as the White House races to meet a goal of 6 million sign-ups by March 31. (AP Photo/U.S. Department of Health and Human Services)

Jane Delgado, president of the National Alliance for Hispanic Health, works in her office in Washington, Monday, March 24, 2014. The nation’s largest minority group risks being left behind by President Barack Obama’s health care overhaul. Hispanics account for nearly one-third of the nation’s uninsured, but all signs indicate that they remain largely on the sidelines as the White House races to meet a goal of 6 million sign-ups with less than a week to enroll. (AP Photo/ Evan Vucci)

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WASHINGTON (AP) — The nation’s largest minority group risks being left behind by President Barack Obama’s health care overhaul.

Hispanics account for about one-third of the nation’s uninsured, but they seem to be staying on the on the sidelines as the White House races to meet a goal of 6 million sign-ups by March 31.

Latinos are “not at the table,” says Jane Delgado, president of the National Alliance for Hispanic Health, a nonpartisan advocacy network. “We are not going to be able to enroll at the levels we should be enrolling at.”

That’s a loss both for Latinos who are trying to put down middle-class roots and for the Obama administration, experts say.

Hispanics who remain uninsured could face fines, not to mention exposing their families to high medical bills from accidents or unforeseen illness. And the government won’t get the full advantage of a group that’s largely young and healthy, helping keep premiums low in the new insurance markets.

“The enrollment rate for Hispanic-Americans seems to be very low, and I would be really concerned about that,” says Brookings Institution health policy expert Mark McClellan. “It is a large population that has a lot to gain … but they don’t seem to be taking advantage.” McClellan oversaw the rollout of Medicare’s prescription drug benefit for President George W. Bush.

The Obama administration says it has no statistics on the race and ethnicity of those signing up in the insurance exchanges, markets that offer subsidized private coverage in every state. Consumers provide those details voluntarily, so federal officials say any tally would be incomplete and possibly misleading.

But concern is showing through, and it’s coming from the highest levels.

“You don’t punish me by not signing up for health care,” Obama told Hispanic audiences during a recent televised town hall. “You’re punishing yourself or your family.”

Like a candidate hunting for votes in the closing days of a campaign, Obama was back on Hispanic airwaves Monday as Univision Radio broadcast his latest pitch.

“The problem is if you get in an accident, if you get sick, or somebody in your family gets sick, you could end up being bankrupt,” the president said.

Only last September, three of five Latinos supported the national overhaul, according to the Pew Research Center. Approval dropped sharply during October, as technical problems paralyzed the health care rollout and the Spanish-language version of the HealthCare.gov website. Hispanics are now evenly divided in their views.

A big Gallup survey recently showed tepid sign-up progress. While the share of African-Americans who are uninsured dropped by 2.6 percentage points this year, the decline among Hispanics was just 0.8 percentage point.

In California, where Latinos account for 46 percent of those eligible for subsidized coverage through the exchange, they represented 22 percent of those who had enrolled by the end February and had also volunteered their race or ethnicity. The state is scrambling to improve its numbers in this week’s home stretch.

Experts cite overlapping factors behind disappointing Latino sign-ups:

— A shortage of in-person helpers to guide consumers. “In our community, trust and confidence is so important — you want to make sure it’s OK before you share all this personal information,” Delgado said. There’s been a lack of “culturally sensitive” outreach to Latinos, added Rep. Lloyd Doggett, D-Texas.

— Fear that applying for health care will bring unwelcome scrutiny from immigration authorities. The health insurance exchanges are only for citizens and legal U.S. residents, but many Hispanic families have mixed immigration status. Some members may be native born, while others might be here illegally. Obama has tried to dispel concerns, repeatedly saying that information on applications will not be shared with immigration authorities.

—The decision by many Republican-led states not to expand Medicaid, as they could under the law. With states like Texas and Florida refusing to expand Medicaid, many low-income Latinos will remain uninsured. However, Medicaid expansion is separate from coverage on the exchanges, which is available in every state. Latinos don’t seem motivated to sign up for that, either.

— Technical difficulties that delayed the federal government’s Spanish-language enrollment site. CuidadoDeSalud.gov has also had to cope with clunky translations.

Delgado’s group is asking the administration to extend the March 31 deadline for Latinos who got tangled up in website problems. Officials say that’s not likely. However, they haven’t ruled out a little extra time for anyone who started an application but wasn’t able to finish by the deadline.

A recent enrollment outreach event in Houston drew Mary Nunez, who works with her self-employed husband in the florist business. They have been uninsured since she lost her job last year. In that time, she’s only been to a doctor once — to get a refill on blood-pressure medication.

“Praise the Lord, we haven’t gotten sick,” said Nunez, adding that she knows luck eventually will run out.

She made an appointment for in-person assistance to review her options on the Texas exchange. But since the couple’s income fluctuates from month to month, she was uncertain how much they could afford. A deadline is looming, she noted, and “Hispanics always leave it for the last minute.”

___

Associated Press writer Ramit Plushnick-Masti in Houston contributed to this report.

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Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Politics Headlines

Latinos being left behind in health care overhaul

COBURN TO CUT SENATE TERM SHORT – Obama to call for NSA phone collection overhaul – CONGRESS OKs $1T OMNIBUS -- Weinstein, Streep to take aim at NRA in "Senator"s Wife"

By Scott Wong (swong@politico.com or @scottwongDC)

COBURN TO CUT SENATE TERM SHORT – Alexander Burns and Burgess Everett report for the hometown paper: “Oklahoma Sen. Tom Coburn confirmed Thursday night that he will not serve out his full Senate term and intends to step down after 2014 because of deepening health problems. In a statement, Coburn acknowledged that he is battling a serious recurrence of cancer and said he would continue to fight for his priorities during the remainder of his time in office. ‘Carolyn and I have been touched by the encouragement we’ve received from people across the state regarding my latest battle against cancer. But this decision isn’t about my health, my prognosis or even my hopes and desires,’ Coburn said. ‘As a citizen, I am now convinced that I can best serve my own children and grandchildren by shifting my focus elsewhere.’ …

– “The 65-year-old physician’s decision to resign marks a shift in his plans: In an interview earlier this month, he said he believed he was ‘plenty healthy enough to serve out my term,’ but acknowledged that circumstances could change. … Coburn’s departure from the Senate will cut short a nine-year career in the chamber and a longer tenure in Congress that dates back to the 1994 Republican revolution. An obstetrician by training, Coburn served six years in the House — often clashing with his GOP colleagues as well as Democrats and participating in attempt to depose then-House Speaker Newt Gingrich — before standing by a pledge to step down after three terms. …

– “Coburn has fought cancer on and off for years: In addition to the recurrence of prostate cancer that he announced in November, Coburn has also grappled with melanoma and colon cancer. He had brain surgery about six years ago as a result of a benign brain tumor. As of last week, he was facing the prospect of serious surgery that would require doctors to enter through the rib cage – a procedure serious enough that Coburn had already begun to discuss the possible ramifications for his Senate career with close family and friends.” http://politi.co/1j5GJ8P

The Oklahoman, A1 1-col lead: “COBURN PLANS TO RESIGN EARLY,” By Chris Casteel: “…Coburn’s decision could set off a major scramble among Republicans hoping to replace him. U.S. Reps. Tom Cole, R-Moore; James Lankford, R-Oklahoma City; and Jim Bridenstine, R-Tulsa; will likely consider the race, along with Oklahoma Attorney General Scott Pruitt. Coburn timed his resignation so his replacement could be elected during the regular ballot process this year. It will be a very compressed time frame for a statewide race, particularly for those who don’t have statewide name recognition.” http://bit.ly/1dBhGLi PDF front page: http://bit.ly/1i57o84

– REPUBLICAN LEADER MITCH McCONNELL issued this statement: “Tom Coburn is without question one of the most intelligent, principled, and decent men in modern Senate history and a lasting credit to his beloved Oklahoma. … With his nearly 20 years of service in the House and later in the Senate, Tom has set a moral example for lawmakers at every level of government through his integrity, grit, and fearlessness in taking on problems others find either too difficult or too unglamorous.”

– PRESIDENT OBAMA, writing last year for TIME’s 100 most influential people: “The people of Oklahoma are lucky to have someone like Tom representing them in Washington — someone who speaks his mind, sticks to his principles and is committed to the people he was elected to serve.” The two developed an unlikely friendship when Obama was serving in the Senate:  http://ti.me/1b7Tzhs

PROGRAMMING NOTE – Huddle will be off on Monday in honor of Martin Luther King Jr. Day. Have a great long weekend. We’ll see you back here on Tuesday.

LAWMAKERS PITCH BILL TO REVIVE VOTING RIGHTS ACT – Mike Lillis writes for The Hill: “A bipartisan group of lawmakers introduced legislation Thursday that would restore the voting protections shot down by the Supreme Court last year. Sponsored by Sen. Pat Leahy (D-Vt.), Rep. Jim Sensenbrenner (R-Wis.) and Rep. John Conyers (D-Mich.), the proposal attempts to ensure voters’ rights by requiring certain regions with a recent history of racial discrimination to secure federal approval before changing their election rules. The bill would reduce the number of states requiring federal pre-clearance from nine to four, leaving Texas, Mississippi, Louisiana and Georgia still covered under that provision of the old law.” http://bit.ly/1gUK89j

OBAMA TO CALL FOR OVERHAUL OF NSA’S PHONE-DATA COLLECTION PROGRAM – Mark Landler reports for the New York Times: “President Obama will lay out plans on Friday morning to pull back the government’s wide net of surveillance at home and abroad, in a speech that administration officials say will stake out a middle ground between the far-reaching proposals of his own advisers and the concerns of the nation’s intelligence agencies. Mr. Obama is expected to outline plans to put more limits on the bulk collection of telephone calls; tighten privacy safeguards for foreigners, particularly heads of state; and propose a new public advocate to represent privacy concerns at a secret intelligence court. …  But he will stop short of turning over the storage of phone data to a consortium of telecommunications companies, according to officials …” http://nyti.ms/1dBjpAm

– OBAMA delivers his remarks at 11 a.m. at the Justice Department.

THE ROGERS REPORT: CONGRESS OKs $ 1.1T SPENDING BILL – “A landmark $ 1.1 trillion spending bill cleared Congress Thursday evening after conservative resistance collapsed in the Senate and tea party favorite Ted Cruz dropped his insistence on a vote on funding for President Barack Obama’s health care plan,” David Rogers reports. “On back-to-back 72-26 roll calls, senators voted to cut off debate and then quickly adopted the bill, which keeps the government funded through September. Seventeen Republicans backed passage, but as with the December budget accord, a majority did not. The divisions show again how much the Senate –even more than the House—has become a partisan battleground. Once again Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) opted to be a “nay” despite the overwhelming support of House Republicans for the measure.

– “The giant package, which Obama has pledged to sign, is very much a product of that same budget agreement last month. But if December set the limits on spending, this bill now spells out where the dollars will go. And as such, it sets a new template for appropriations for the remainder of the president’s second term.” http://politi.co/1dqCvq7

– A WOMAN, Barbara Mikulski, once again was at the center of this major legislative deal. On A1 of the Washington Post, Ed O’Keefe takes another look at women’s growing influence on Capitol Hill: http://wapo.st/1ac8NaF

WEINSTEIN, STREEP TO TARGET NRA IN ‘THE SENATOR’S WIFE’ – Greg Gilman reports for TheWrap: “Harvey Weinstein promised that an upcoming film he’s making, starring Meryl Streep, will make the National Rifle Association ‘wish they weren’t alive’ during an interview with Howard Stern earlier this week, and now it has a title. A Weinstein Co. spokeswoman told TheWrap on Thursday that the film will be called ‘The Senator’s Wife.’ ‘I think the NRA is a disaster area. I shouldn’t say this, but I’ll tell it to you, Howard. I’m going to make a movie with Meryl Streep, and we’re going to take this head-on,’ Weinstein told Stern on Wednesday. ‘And they’re going to wish they weren’t alive after I’m done with them.’ Weinstein described the film as a ‘big movie like a ‘Mr. Smith Goes to Washington,’’ which he hopes will make audiences think: ‘Gun stocks — I don’t want to be involved in that stuff. It’s going to be like crash and burn.’” http://bit.ly/1dB5vwk

– SEN. TED CRUZ (R-TEXAS) fired back at Weinstein, calling the studio head a hypocrite for using violence in his own films. “Citing Quentin Tarantino’s 2003 film ‘Kill Bill’ — which Weinstein produced — the Texas senator said the sword fight at the end of the movie is ‘one of the most epically violent scenes.’” POLITICO’s Lucy McCalmont: http://politi.co/1j7Lper

GOOD FRIDAY MORNING, JAN. 17, 2014, and welcome to The Huddle, your-play-play preview of all the action on Capitol Hill. Send tips, suggestions, comments, complaints and corrections to swong@politico.com. If you don’t already, please follow me on Twitter @scottwongDC.

My new followers include @BreitbartNews and @repcorygardner.

TODAY IN CONGRESS – Both the House and Senate have adjourned through next week for the January recess. They return the week of Jan. 27.

AROUND THE HILL – Rep. Frank Wolf speaks on the Omnibus Appropriations bill at 1 p.m. in HVC Studio A.

FEINSTEIN DEFENDS HILLARY ON BENGHAZI – Ginger Gibson writes for POLITICO: “Sen. Dianne Feinstein is strongly defending former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton from criticism in the wake of a Senate report that condemned the State Department for not averting a preventable attack on a U.S. Consulate in Benghazi. ‘I want the record to be clear: I condemn any effort to use this report for political purposes,’ said Feinstein (D-Calif.), the chairwoman of the Senate Intelligence Committee. She was referring to remarks from Sens. John McCain (R-Ariz.), Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) and Kelly Ayotte (R-N.H.) on the Senate floor on Thursday that were critical of the role Clinton, a potential 2016 presidential candidate, for not doing enough to prevent the attack.” http://politi.co/1eWFxSy

GATES, REID SQUABBLE OVER NEW BOOK – POLITICO’s Philip Ewing has the story: “Former Defense Secretary Robert Gates fired back at Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid on Thursday night, quipping that ‘it’s common practice on the Hill to vote on bills you haven’t read, and it’s perfectly clear Sen. Reid has not read the book.’ Reid faulted Gates’s book in an interview with The Associated Press earlier in the day, charging Gates had denigrated him, Vice President Joe Biden and others ‘just to make a buck.’ But Gates said he plans to donate most of what he makes to charities that work with wounded troops, and encouraged Reid and others to actually read his new memoir.” http://politi.co/1av7huA

FRIST’S MISERABLE FLIGHT – Michael Cass writes for The Tennessean: “Apparently being a multimillionaire former Senate majority leader doesn’t guarantee smooth access to the sky. Bill Frist, the former U.S. senator from Tennessee, went on a Twitter rant against United Airlines this afternoon, complaining that he was bumped from a first-class seat and then seated next to a very noisy bathroom.

Bill Frist, M.D. @bfrist: United Air @United miserable service again. SanFran sold me and confirmed a seat then took it away: Flt 1486 today

@bfrist: I can confirm that the toilets on this @united flight work! My seat vibrates with each passenger’s visit!

@bfrist: I also appreciate what @united is doing to keep the plane’s weight down. Bathroom walls this thin have got to be fuel-saving!

@bfrist: Thanks @united. Connection made; all is well. But do you refund passengers for selling seats that don’t exist? http://tnne.ws/1czTx1H

PELOSI PLACES WAGER ON NINERS GAME – Either way, someone will be eating well after Sunday’s San Francisco 49ers and Seattle Seahawks matchup. Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi and Democrats in Washington state’s Congressional Delegation have made a friendly wager over the much-anticipated NFC championship game. From the leader’s office; “If the Seahawks win, Pelosi will provide the Washington delegation with San Francisco sourdough bread from Boudin’s Bakery and chocolate from Ghirardelli and TCHO.  If the 49ers win, Pelosi will receive Theo’s chocolate from Congressman Jim McDermott, Brown & Haley Almond Roca toffees from Congressman Adam Smith, Fischer fair scones from Congressman Denny Heck, craft gin from Everett’s Bluewater Distilling in Congressman Rick Larsen’s district, Woodinville wine and smoked salmon from Congresswoman Suzan DelBene, and apples from Amy’s Decadent Chocolates courtesy of Congressman Derek Kilmer. … ‘Seattle may try to keep our fans out of their stadium, but they will not keep the 49ers out of their end zone,’ Pelosi said.”

THURSDAY’S TRIVIA WINNER – We’ll give credit to two winners: Shelby Boxenbaum correctly answered that Bruce King served as New Mexico governor during the 1970s, 80s and 90s, while our own White House editor Dan Berman answered that Bill Clinton served as Arkansas governor during those same three decades.  Other correct answers were Bill Janklow of South Dakota, Edwin Edwards of Louisiana, Michael Dukakis of Massachusetts and Jim Hunt of North Carolina.

TODAY’S TRIVIA – Bruce Tannahill has a follow-up question: Who served as governor of the same state in the 1980s, 1990s, 2000s and 2010s? The first person to correctly answer gets a mention in the next day’s Huddle. Email me atswong@politico.com.

GET HUDDLE emailed to your Blackberry, iPhone or other mobile device each morning. Just enter your email address where it says “Sign Up.” http://www.politico.com/huddle/

POLITICO – Top 10 – Huddle

COBURN TO CUT SENATE TERM SHORT – Obama to call for NSA phone collection overhaul – CONGRESS OKs $1T OMNIBUS -- Weinstein, Streep to take aim at NRA in "Senator"s Wife"

Veteran Warriors to Descend on Washington Demanding Overdue Veterans Administration Overhaul

No one can understand the plight of the massive US Veteran community, better than the Veteran Warriors. Beginning Tuesday, November 12, 2013, a small group of disabled veterans representing all branches of our military is schedule to meet with 12 legislators and 2 subcommittees in Washington, D.C. I hope these legislators are ready. From what I understand, these Veteran Warriors are determined to win the fight for a total overhaul of a failing Veterans Administration.

Two weeks ago, the House Committee on Veterans Affairs held hearings on Veterans Administration case backlogs. I watched and listened to these hearings. With the exception of a few Congressmen—those that actually served—much of what I heard was an exercise in false self-righteous indignation, shifting the blame, shameless finger pointing and deception. “Thank you for your service to our nation,” has become a platitude in American political circles.

The United States Department of Veterans Affairs, administered by Secretary of Veterans Affairs, Retired U.S. Army General Eric Shinseki— a member of President Obama’s “the buck stops here” executive cabinet —is under fire for a confirmed culture of corruption, fraud and incompetence plaguing an unprepared and poorly managed Veterans Administration (VA).

I recently spoke with Lauren Price of Veteran Warriors about the ongoing mess at the VA. Lauren is amazing. Price is retired Navy, a disabled Veteran, the wife of a disabled Navy veteran, mother of a disabled Army veteran, a grandmother and the Public Affairs Representative for the Veteran Warriors.

She is also terminally ill. She suffers from a disease she acquired will serving in Iraq known as Constrictive Bronchitus.

For the past 5 years, Lauren Price—a former paralegal in civilian life—and a small group of military veterans, investigated, documented, catalogued and summarized the core issues and problems plaguing the VA. The Veteran Warriors have also—on their own time and dime—developed a simple plan to restructure and overhaul the second largest department in our government. They are now taking their case and there plan to Congress. They need America’s support.

The Veteran Warriors proposal to overhaul the VA can be found here.

Fed up with band-aid approaches and failures of poorly thought out and wasteful legislation like the 2008 Benefits Delivery at Discharge Program, this group of former military members, is determined to improve a long neglected, cost inefficient and unproductive VA; not only for their fellow service members and veterans, but for the taxpayer.

To Lauren Price—who also suffers from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) —this is a fight worth fighting. To quote her, “I have nothing to lose. I am dying. Might as well make the best of the time I have left.”

Unlike me, this is not political for disabled veteran Lauren Price and the “Veteran Warriors.” This is about improving our government for the taxpayer. I wish I could be so considerate. She is a brave women, a true Patriot and a better human being than the majority of us.

Like so many other real national priorities (budgets, deficits, national debt and entitlement reform) that our Congress—and an arrogant and irresponsible President—has failed to address, the real problems at the Department of Veterans Affairs are overdue for overhaul, not meaningless reforms. In fairness, since World War II, our government has an abysmal record of accomplishment in Veterans Affairs. However, this is not an excuse to delay much needed overhaul so that our veterans receive the timely care and benefit’s they earned fighting our wars.

Moreover, yes, Mr. President, whether you like it or not, these are your wars too. However, I digress.

With Lauren Price’s permission, I will continue to follow the progress of the “Veteran Warrior” Group and introductions to their team. Once again America, they are going down range for us. I suspect they could use your support.

For those that wish to help, shoot the editor, Tim Brown, an email by clicking the contact button at the top of the screen. He will put you in touch with the right people.

Don’t forget to Like Freedom Outpost on Facebook and Google Plus.

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Veteran Warriors to Descend on Washington Demanding Overdue Veterans Administration Overhaul