Planned Parenthood Marks ACA Latino & African American Week of Action by Providing Resources on Enrollment & Renewal

Planned Parenthood to host enrollment events across the country to help Latinos and African Americans get covered

New York, NY — As part of a national effort this week to spotlight the Affordable Care Act’s many benefits for Latino and African American communities and encourage eligible community members to enroll, Planned Parenthood is urging Latinos and African Americans across the country to take charge of their health and learn about how the law can help them and their families.  Throughout open enrollment, which runs until January 31, 2016, Planned Parenthood affiliates are providing education and resources to community members about how to get enrolled in insurance plans including in-person assistance, in English and Spanish to help people apply and find a plan that’s right for them.

“As a leading provider of high quality affordable health care and advocate for health equity for all across the country, we know firsthand how much Latinos and African Americans — many of whom are disproportionately impacted by health disparities and are less likely to have access to health care — can benefit from the historic advancements in the Affordable Care Act,” said Cecile Richards, President of Planned Parenthood Federation of America. “Since the implementation of the Affordable Care Act, we have seen the largest reduction in the number of uninsured people in four decades. These coverage expansions are especially important for the Latino and African American communities and particularly women of color  who are more likely to be uninsured than white Americans but there is still a lot of work to be done.”

The ACA has had a big impact on reducing uninsured rates and helping millions of Americans, including millions of women of color, get affordable and high-quality health insurance. Among African Americans, the uninsured rate declined by 10.3 percentage points (from a baseline uninsured rate of 22.4 percent to 12.1 percent), resulting in 2.6 million adult African Americans gaining coverage. Among Hispanics, the uninsured rate declined by 11.5 percentage points (from a baseline uninsured rate of 41.8 percent to 30.3 percent), resulting in about 4.0 million Latino adults gaining coverage.

Despite big coverage gains, there are still about 10.5 million Americans who are uninsured and eligible to sign-up for coverage in the Marketplace. These people can sign up for coverage during OE3 and may qualify financial help to help afford insurance.

Throughout open enrollment, which ends on January 31, 2016, Planned Parenthood is helping Latino and African American community members across the country take charge of their health by providing education about in-person assistance around enrollment in insurance plans for community members, in English and Spanish.

In addition to various enrollment events and activities, Planned Parenthood’s website PlannedParenthoodHealthInsuranceFacts.org and PlannedParenthoodAsegurate.org provide an overview of the many benefits of the Affordable Care Act, a glossary of important terms related to the law and health insurance, and a calculator that helps visitors get a sense of what kind of financial help they can get. It also features a widget that allows visitors to find in-person assistance near them, and schedule an appointment online with an assister.

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Planned Parenthood is the nation's leading provider and advocate of high-quality, affordable health care for women, men, and young people, as well as the nation's largest provider of sex education. With approximately 700 health centers across the country, Planned Parenthood organizations serve all patients with care and compassion, with respect and without judgment. Through health centers, programs in schools and communities, and online resources, Planned Parenthood is a trusted source of reliable health information that allows people to make informed health decisions. We do all this because we care passionately about helping people lead healthier lives.