On Tuesday, October 27th, the Hispanic Federation along with a coalition of national Hispanic leaders advocating in support of healthcare reform announced the creation of Latinos United for Healthcare (LUH) and the launch of www.latinosunitedforhealthcare.org. Latinos United for Healthcare will serve as a platform for Latino leaders to engage in the healthcare reform debate and its website will be an organizing tool, providing relevant and up-to-date information about the current debate as well as ways to advocate for reform.

“With one in three Latinos lacking health insurance and suffering from poor health outcomes as a result of that, we feel the urgency to engage strongly in the health reform debate at this critical juncture.  For that reason we have come together to form Latinos United for Healthcare and launch a website that will help rally the Latino community from coast to coast,” said Lillian Rodriguez López, President of Hispanic Federation and Chair of the National Hispanic Leadership Agenda (NHLA).
 
LUH will work directly with national Latino organizations, as well as with Hispanic state and local elected officials, health experts, medical professionals, and community advocates. The campaign will include educational briefings in target states, media outreach and grassroots lobbying.
 
“Our community stands ready to speak out for passage of health care reform.  We have always made our voices heard on the critical issues facing us, and the health of our families is one of the most important of our time,” said Rosa Rosales, National President of the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC).  “In the coming weeks, Congress will have no doubt where the Latino community stands.”
 
The guiding principles of the coalition are to:

1) Improve and make healthcare more affordable;
2) End healthcare disparities; and
3) Not permit discrimination in the care received by the individual or families.

In support of these principles, LUH invites the Latinos to visit www.latinosunitedforhealthcare.org to learn more and sign the petition.

“We have a once-in-a-generation opportunity to fix health care for our nation’s families.  Congress and our President need to ensure that Latinos are included in health care reform by improving the community’s access to health insurance and ensuring that Latinos receive high quality care,” said Janet Murguía, President and CEO of the National Council of La Raza (NLCR).  “Reforming our nation’s system to include communities of color is not only the right thing to do, but it’s the smart thing to do for the future of this country.”
 
“The stakes for our community couldn’t be higher.  Health care reform must include affordable access to health services, culturally competent professional training, and prevention in order to overcome stark disparities between Latinos and non-Latinos in rates of asthma, lung cancer, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, HIV/AIDS and other diseases,” said Dr. Elena Rios, President and CEO of the National Hispanic Medical Association (NHMA).
 
Latinos United for Healthcare (LUH) is a nonpartisan coalition of national, state and local Hispanic leaders and organizations that support the passage of significant healthcare reform that increases access to affordable, quality health coverage for all.