Sunday, March 8, 2009
The health system reform, the debate was opened by President Barack Obama will have a "huge impact" on communities of Hispanics and blacks, the two largest minorities in the United States on Friday said Melody Barnes , presidential adviser on domestic policy.
40% of Latino children and up to 1 in 3 Hispanics in general do not have health insurance and reform will touch not only this aspect but the cost and infrastructure of the system, Barnes said in a dialogue with journalists from Hispanic media in the House Blanca.
He said the plan aims to have a health system "affordable and accessible to all."
"It will be a tremendous impact on Latino communities, black, Asian and other sources," he said. "We are working to provide necessary assistance to each of them."
Barnes, director of domestic policy from the White House, is the third official team of advisers of the president speaking to reporters in the Hispanic work six weeks of the new Democratic administration, in an unprecedented plan developed by the office of Latino media contacts.
White House sources also reported Friday that Obama will deliver a speech on Tuesday 10 in the Chamber of Commerce Hispanic-Americans. Although not specified themes, Obama addressed, from his campaign on the issues on immigration reform and the advancement of minorities, including Hispanics, in fields that include health and education.
It will be the first occasion on which the president addresses the Democratic Hispanic community since he assumed the government.
Obama launched the campaign for health reform at a forum Thursday at the White House in which leaders of several Hispanic activist organizations, which are an "important source" for the generation of ideas, Barnes said.
Janet Murguia, president of the National Council of La Raza, one participant said that although health was an "urgency to the Hispanic community, the reform project begun 15 years ago during the administration of President Bill Clinton has found difficulties to succeed.
Barnes also acknowledged that Obama will face resistance, particularly in its attempt to universalize health care to all who live in the United States, but expressed optimism, noting that the government hoped to have draft legislation ready for debate in the final quarter of the year.
He noted that the minority of people with chronic illnesses, including diabetes, no lack of help with a system that is expected to be more effective not only with a better quality of care but with prevention programs, pharmacy and trained professionals to meet group minority.
Labels: Health, World News