NCLR (National Council of La Raza) praised the U.S. Supreme Court decision today to uphold the Affordable Care Act (ACA) in a 5 to 4 vote.
“Today’s decision is a victory for those of us who believe that health care for all is an essential right, not a luxury,” said Janet Murguía, NCLR President and CEO. “The health care legislation was an important step forward and these court challenges were an unfortunate distraction that both distorted the purpose of the law and inhumanely slowed down its implementation. The Supreme Court has spoken. It is time to move forward and make the entire law a reality.”
The Court’s decision upheld implementation of the core of the law, though it limited the federal government’s role in states’ adoption of the ACA’s Medicaid expansion. The law will have dramatic implications for Latinos and their ability to gain meaningful access to health care. A minimum of six million Latinos will become newly insured under full expansion of the law—the single-biggest jump in health insurance levels for Latinos in American history. NCLR will continue working to ensure that the benefits of the law are fully realized within the Hispanic community.
Chairman Charles Gonzalez (TX-20):
“The Supreme Court’s decision is a victory for all Americans, including the 16 million uninsured Hispanics. Access to healthcare has been a longstanding concern to the Hispanic community, as Latinos are far less likely to get preventive services but have a greater chance than whites of being diagnosed with diseases like diabetes.
“Already we have seen the benefits of these reforms in the Latino community. Nearly 750,000 young Latinos have been able to get coverage through their parents’ plans and by 2014, when the reforms are fully implemented, 9 million more uninsured Latinos will be eligible to receive coverage. With the decision, America moves closer to lightening the burden on working families and ensuring that all our citizens will have a brighter future.
Congresswoman Lucille Roybal-Allard:
“This ruling is wonderful news. The Court has decided, and now we can move forward and get people the coverage they need. Today, if you have a pre-existing condition, you can rest assured that you will always have access to health care. If you need preventative care—a cancer screening, diabetes test, a flu shot—these services will be covered. Beginning in 2014, your insurance company can no longer charge you more for being a woman and if you lose your job, or your employer doesn’t offer insurance, you will be able to buy affordable coverage.
This ruling is particularly important for minorities in our country, who make up 30% of the population, but are 50% of the uninsured. Every year more than 83,000 racial and ethnic minorities die because they don’t have access to high quality health care. The Affordable Care Act is a landmark health equity law that extends health coverage to 32 million more individuals and provides the critical investments and reforms necessary to eliminate health care disparities, especially in minority and underserved communities.
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On the other side, Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL)
“What’s important to remember is that what the Court rules on is whether something is constitutional or not, not whether it’s a good idea. And while the Court has said that the law is constitutional, it remains a bad idea for our economy, and I hope that in the fall we will have a majority here that will not just repeal this law, but replace it with real solutions that will insure more people and cost a lot less money.”
