Hispanic Federation Statement on the House Vote to Repeal the Affordable Care Act

May 4, 2017 (New York, NY) – Hispanic Federation has issued the following statement today condemning the U.S. House of Representatives vote to repeal the Affordable Care Act:

“Today, Republicans in Congress put the health and well-being of tens of millions of Americans in jeopardy by revoking the Affordable Care Act, the law that has resulted in the lowest uninsured rate in our nation’s history, and insurance coverage for more than 4 million Latinos.

“H.R. 1628 is a rewarmed version of the GOP’s previously failed attempt to reverse the most important social welfare legislation in the last quarter century. It will reinstate discrimination against people living with pre-existing conditions by forcing them to pay the highest prices for care, or denying them coverage altogether. Older Americans will be charged as much as five times more for an insurance policy than a young person. Medicaid will also be gutted, impacting 70 million Americans—including 18 million Latinos.

“For Latinos who still face the highest uninsured rates of any racial or ethnic group within the United States, this bill is particularly devastating. The unbearable loss of health insurance for millions of Latinos will be compounded by the fact that our people are disproportionately impacted by pre-existing conditions and other illnesses, including heart disease, cancer, stroke, diabetes and asthma. Under this bill, many won’t be able to access the preventative care that can keep Latinos out of hospital emergency rooms.

“The Hispanic Federation stands with millions of Americans and countless advocacy organizations in strong opposition to this callous attempt by President Trump and the Republican majority in Congress to repeal the Affordable Care Act. We pledge to work with individuals and institutions across the country to prevent this harmful legislation from being enacted by the Senate.”