Time is short, but Hispanics or Latinos without health insurance still have time to obtain low-cost coverageeven for $10 a month, depending on the circumstance of the family.
“When you can get a plan that protects you or your family while paying only $10 or less a month in premiums, that’s incredible,” Health and Human Services Secretary, said in an interview. Xavier Becerra. “As I always tell the people, we can’t even go on these nights to see a movie at the theater for $10 dollars or less.”
The way to obtain this annual coverage is by following the steps on the cuidadodesalud.gov portal. There are two dates that people should take into account: December 15 is the last day to obtain the insurance that will start the protection on January 1, 2023.
However, interested persons can seek protection until January 15, 2023, when the subscription period ends.
Secretary Becerra highlights that the low price of coverage is due to the impulse of the President’s Government Joe Biden through the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) –not supported by republicans–, which includes various benefits in health care issues.
“For a whole month, not one night, we have access to a doctor, to a hospital for our children for less than $10 a month. It is incredible ”, insists the Democratic official.
The coverage has already been a success, according to the official, since there has been a 50% increase in new Latino beneficiaries compared to the previous year.
“The largest increase in major communities in this country […] people gaining access to health care through Obamacare insurance [es] our Latino community, more than 50 percent increase or growth in the last year”, he boasted.
Currently, the system registers 5.5 million people under medical coverageof which 1.18 million are new beneficiaries, while 4.2 million are people who obtained the benefit again.
“President Biden made good on his promise to do everything possible to make health care accessible to all who qualify,” Becerra said. “One of the things that was very difficult was having the money to pay for a medical plan, having the resources to be able to get that insurance… [Es la] highest number we have ever seen in the history of this country.”
He stressed that, in this way, more than 300 million Americans already have health coverage.
Win the trust of the population
Secretary Becerra acknowledges that the population mistrusted the benefits of medical coveragebut mainly due to lack of knowledge, so HHS implemented a strategy to reach out more to the people.
“We went to our community […] when we got to the town that does not have health insurance and we explained what is available is when they accepted,” he acknowledged. “That’s why we saw such a large increase and the success that we have had in having more people than at any other time in the country.”
Becerra, awarded in September with the American Dream Medallion 2022 by the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute, stresses that families should be aware of the benefits of Obamacare, which would prevent them from giving up access to a doctor or hospital care, even going bankrupt.
“We saw that there were families that were admitted to the hospital… because they needed to go for themselves, or for a family member, or a child and when they left they received the bill and saw that they could no longer pay and there was more personal bankruptcy… caused by medical costs “, lament. “Something important that one has to understand, because many of our families do everything to avoid visiting the doctor or the hospital, because they do not have the resources to pay the costs, that has changed dramatically.”
various benefits
Under the IRA, people have different benefits, especially older adults, such as lower costs on certain medications, including low-priced insulin, but the first thing is to obtain health insurance.
“Individuals will also benefit from a highly competitive marketplace…they will have access to choices from three or more insurance companies when shopping for plans,” HHS notes in an information card.
Indicates that most standardized plan options offer pre-deductible services, including primary caregeneric drugs, preferred brand drugs, urgent care, specialist visits, mental health and substance abuse outpatient office visits, as well as speech, occupational and physical therapy.
How to get health coverage
The Ministry of Health made available a website in Spanish:
– Get into cuidadodesalud.gov
– You must create an account to explore the options and the system will guide you
– Remember: you must reside in the US, be a US citizen, have a Green Card or other immigration protection
– People in prison cannot get the benefit
– Coverage depends on income: a health plan with tax credits
– Coverage through Medicaid/Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP)