ST. PAUL, Minn. - With a major deadline looming for all Minnesotans to have health-care coverage, the race is on to enroll the uninsured, with a special focus on the Latino population. According to Associate Director of the U.S. Office of Minority Health Mayra Alvarez, Hispanics are disproportionately uninsured all across the country and it's vital to close that gap.
"We know that access to health care is an important social determinant of health that contributes to health disparities for Latinos and many populations," she said. "Under the Affordable Care Act, we know that one out of every four eligible Americans for coverage is Latino. That equates to 10.2 million eligible Latinos that will have the opportunity to gain coverage."
In Minnesota, there are nearly 75,000 Latinos without health insurance, a majority of them eligible for coverage. A large majority of Latinos in the U.S. are English-dominant, and 63 percent were born in this country. The longer people reside in the U.S., the more likely they are to have health insurance, according to U.S. Census data. However, nationally the proportion of the population without insurance is around 16 percent, but among Latinos the rate is twice that, or almost one in three.
Historically, one of the biggest barriers Hispanics have faced to getting coverage is financial, but Alvarez said most of those eligible for Obamacare can get tax credits to help reduce the cost of monthly premiums.
"We estimate that the majority of folks will pay less than $100 for coverage," she said. "A hundred dollars for the security, the peace of mind that health insurance extends is a tremendous opportunity to ensure that people have the coverage that they need and have it at a price they can afford."
With just days to get an application in during this first open-enrollment period, Alvarez advised those who need insurance through the marketplace that there are a number of options.
"They can do it in person in their community with someone they trust. They can do it online at HealthCare.gov. They can do it via phone at 1-800-318-2596. They can even do it during a paper application. Please don't pass this opportunity up."
In Minnesota, the online marketplace is at MNsure.gov. At last count, nearly 125,000 people in the state had signed up for coverage.
The deadline to enroll in a marketplace plan for this year is one week from today, March 31. Those who do not have health coverage could face possible penalties.
Individuals may be exempted from the requirement to buy insurance if they file a form and qualify (for example, if their previous plan was terminated and no affordable alternative plan is available). If they think insurance is unaffordable based on their projected income, they may be allowed to buy a policy for catastrophic coverage only. Information about exemptions is available at www.healthcare.gov/exemptions/.
Enrollment is available by calling 800-318-2596 or visiting www.HealthCare.gov (English) or www.CuidadoDeSalud.gov (Spanish).
This story was produced with data and editorial assistance from NewsTaco, www.newstaco.com/.
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Farmworkers in South Carolina and across the U.S. face scorching heat with little protection at the federal and state level. However, the Farm Labor Organizing Committee is taking steps to enhance worker safety.
The group is ramping up heat protection guidelines for migrant workers in the South through an existing rule. Originally negotiated in 2006 with the North Carolina Growers Association, the rule aimed to address heat-related incidents. Now, it is being strengthened to improve conditions for more than 9,000 farmworkers.
Baldemar Velasquez, president of the committee, believes the efforts are key in safeguarding workers where legal measures do not.
"The problem with legislation, whether it's the federal or state, it takes forever," Velasquez asserted. "Enforcement is always an issue because we're not talking about big factories with a lot of workers. We're talking very remote labor camps, isolated, and so it's important that workers know how to take action on their own."
He noted under the new guidelines, workers who are a part of their union take heat safety into their own hands. The rules say if it is getting close to 85 degrees and workers have symptoms such as dizziness or nausea, they should take a break in the shade and drink water, no matter what the boss said. When it hits 95 degrees or more, breaks are supposed to happen every couple of hours.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 67 people died from heat-related deaths from 2016 through 2020 in South Carolina.
Mario Vargas, lead organizing development coordinator at the Campaign for Migrant Worker Justice, shared his 15 years of firsthand experience. He vividly depicted the challenges faced by workers, such as tall crops blocking the wind and constant pressure from employers.
Recognizing the urgent need for change, Vargas and his organization are teaming up with the committee to go beyond guidelines. They are prioritizing education.
"Because if you say, 'Oh, we got another 100 feet to go so we can finish the row,' you might not make it to the end of the row," Vargas pointed out. "You need to stop and find some shade and drink some water. We let them know their rights, that they have a right."
The group will be teaching farmworkers about the new guidelines, signs of heat stress, how to stay hydrated and when to seek medical help. Vargas added they will also have support channels to report issues or pushback to ensure their well-being is not compromised.
Disclosure: The Farm Labor Organizing Committee contributes to our fund for reporting on Livable Wages/Working Families, Rural/Farming, and Social Justice. If you would like to help support news in the public interest,
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Last week, Walmart became the latest major retailer to retreat from providing direct health-care service by announcing closures of all its health clinics and virtual health-care operations.
However, Florida's health centers say they are ready to fill the gap.
Florida is home to most of the soon-to-be-shuttered health centers - 23 of the 51 centers are now winding down operations in the Sunshine State, where they offer various services, including medical, dental, and behavioral health care.
Benjamin Browning - vice president and COO of the Florida Association of Community Health Centers - said many have tried to figure out the complexities of delivering health-care services, which doesn't always work.
He said the current concern is ensuring displaced patients, often in rural underserved areas, can still access care.
"Fortunately," said Browning, "the community health centers are positioned throughout the state to be able to welcome those patients, to encourage those patients to come and visit and receive their primary-care services."
In a statement, Walmart cited the challenging health-care reimbursement landscape and rising operating costs as reasons for the closures.
Additionally, Walgreens is closing 160 VillageMD clinics, Amazon is cutting jobs at One Medical and Amazon Pharmacy, and CVS Health plans to shutter dozens of pharmacies in Target stores.
Browning said their model of providing care is embedded in their name - building community.
When a patient enters their facility, they might also be connected to additional services. He said the model is financially challenging, but they've been working to perfect it.
"There is a level of streamlining," said Browning. "There is a level of efficiency that is maximized to the extent possible, within the health centers to provide for those patients that can and cannot afford to pay the full bill."
Walmart expects the closures to occur within three months and will now focus its health business on its nearly 4,600 pharmacies and more than 3,000 vision centers across the United States.
Community Health Centers are in all of Florida's 67 counties, serving patients in more than 800 locations - including dozens of mobile units and school-based sites statewide.
Disclosure: Florida Association of Community Health Centers contributes to our fund for reporting on Health Issues, Mental Health, Poverty Issues. If you would like to help support news in the public interest,
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Michigan farmers are responding to the new Avian Flu "Extraordinary Emergency" order from MDARD, Michigan's Department of Agriculture and Rural Development.
New safety guidelines must be in place by this Wednesday that affect all dairy and poultry operations in the state.
The guidelines include the designation of a biosecurity manager, establishing a perimeter that limits access to livestock, and implementing cleaning and disinfection procedures at those access points.
Chief Medical Executive for the state of Michigan, Dr. Natasha Bagdasarian, said the most severe cases of the Bird Flu seem to be in poultry.
"Poultry don't recover well from this virus," said Bagdasarian. "This is a highly pathogenic virus in poultry and the dairy cows do tend to recover, even though their milk production is slowed down."
M-DARD first detected Avian Flu in Michigan dairy cattle on March 29 of this year. The disease has since been detected in more dairy herds and commercial poultry flocks in 7 counties.
The emergency guidelines also include farms maintaining a record of vehicles and people who cross access points.
Regarding the health risks for humans, Bagdasarian said there is some positive news amidst the crisis.
"We had a number of workers who had been exposed, but very few have been symptomatic," said Bagdasarian. "And no one who has been symptomatic and tested for the virus, had tested positive. So, that's really good news. "
The Food and Drug Administation continues to advise against drinking raw milk and recommends that the dairy industry does not manufacture or sell raw milk or raw milk products.
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