| The aim of healthcare reform is to improve the | | | | also be banned. |
| health and living standards of the American | | | | According to Obama, nine million Latinos will |
| population. It remains to be seen if the legislation | | | | benefit from the legislation. This number does not |
| will be successful. Because of the growing | | | | include illegal immigrants. The final version of the |
| population of Hispanics and Latinos, they are | | | | bill that passed the Senate does not allow the |
| increasingly likely to be affected. Many live under | | | | undocumented those benefits. Undocumented |
| the poverty line, either unemployed or working | | | | immigrants are not even allowed to utilize the |
| low-wage jobs that do not offer health insurance. | | | | affordable health insurance exchanges (launched |
| Typically, Democrats have been successful among | | | | by the federal government and individual states) |
| this demographic. This is even more true after | | | | with their own money. While they never would |
| the Republican governor of Arizona passed SB | | | | have recieved subsidies for coverage from the |
| 1070, which allows law enforcement officers to | | | | federal government, they would have been |
| stop and investigate anyone they suspect of | | | | allowed to purchase health plans with their own |
| being an undocumented immigrant--and which | | | | money under the House of Representatives' |
| some people believe amounts to racial profiling. | | | | original version of the bill. However, even that |
| Therefore, President Obama is looking to shore | | | | appears to have been politically untenable. |
| up support among this group. | | | | Many conservatives use the high rate of |
| Recently, Obama made a speech to the | | | | uninsured Latinos to support the deportation of all |
| Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute. In the | | | | of them from the United States, contrary to the |
| speech, the President touted the benefits: | | | | belief of advocacy groups that oppose the strict |
| affordable health insurance options will give them | | | | limitations of the healthcare reform law. The issue |
| access to more effective preventative care, and | | | | is important to Hispanics in the country legally as |
| reduce the overuse of emergency rooms. | | | | well, because a significant percentage of them |
| Increasing rates due to pre-existing conditions will | | | | have undocumented relatives or friends. |