Building Back Together Celebrates Historic Uninsurance Rates for Communities of Color

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: June 7, 2024
PRESS CONTACT: [email protected]

BUILDING BACK TOGETHER CELEBRATES HISTORIC UNINSURANCE RATES FOR COMMUNITIES OF COLOR

Biden-Harris Administration’s investments in health care navigators and protecting the ACA have slashed uninsurance rates for Latino, Black, AAPI, American Indian and Alaska Native communities

WASHINGTON — Today, the Department of Health and Human Services announced that as a result of the Biden-Harris Administration’s huge investments in health care navigators via the Inflation Reduction Act, uninsured rates for communities of color across the country have dropped significantly — leading to record numbers of Americans with affordable, dependable health insurance. In celebration, Building Back Together Executive Director Mayra Macías released the following statement:

“Since the Affordable Care Act was passed, we have seen more and more people be able to afford quality, affordable health insurance for themselves and their families without breaking the bank. Today’s announcement from the Department of Health and Human Services proves what we all know — when you engage communities with empathy, cultural competency and dependability, you see positive results just like these.

“With an additional $500 million investment in health care navigator grants over the next five years, the Biden-Harris Administration has shown that they know there is more work to do to ensure that every person in the United States gets access to health insurance. I applaud these efforts and look forward to supporting the administration’s continued commitment to engage with communities of color to get folks the coverage they need and deserve.”

Since the Affordable Care Act was enacted, health care navigators — federally-funded enrollment assisters who work one-on-one with enrollees to answer questions, compare plans, and help folks understand their options — have led to huge gains in health insurance coverage. This includes:

• The uninsured rate for Latinos has been cut nearly in half (45% drop – 32.7% to 18%)
• The uninsured rate for Black Americans has been cut in half (48% drop – 20.9% to 10.8%)
• The uninsured rate for Asian American and Pacific Islanders has been cut by more than 60% (63% drop – 16.6% to 6.2%)
• The uninsured rate for American Indians and Alaska Natives has been cut by nearly 40% (39% drop – 32.4% to 19.9%)

For more information on this important announcement, see HHS’ fact sheet here.

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