Congresswoman Lucille Roybal-Allard (CA-34) thanks advocates who visited our nation’s capital for their efforts to rally support for health care reform.  The massive day of action, called "Health Care 09 - We Can’t Wait," was sponsored by Health Care for America Now (HCAN) – the largest health care campaign in the country.  Thousands of supporters traveled from around the country to a large rally and eleven town hall meetings held throughout the day.  At one of the town hall meetings, Congresswoman Roybal-Allard gave the following remarks:

“It’s a pleasure to join you for this Health Equity Town Hall event.  I’m honored to share the stage with H - CAN supporters who are working to make certain that grassroot voices are heard in Washington as part of the national conversation on health reform. 

As you know we are at a critical crossroad in our nation’s health care system.  The path we choose now will determine the state of America’s health for generations to come.  Your presence today is testimony that you firmly believe we must no longer be a nation that denies 47 million Americans access to health care.

I don’t need to tell you that most of these uninsured are people of color.  Just two weeks ago, the Department of Health and Human Services reported that more than one in three Hispanics, one in three American Indians, and just under one in five African Americans, are uninsured.  In comparison, only about one in eight whites lacks health insurance.

As you are all well aware, the uninsured do not receive regular preventive and wellness care, and they lack access to recommended screenings for treatable diseases. 

When people are uninsured they still get sick, but they are more likely to enter the health care system when their diseases are further advanced and more difficult and more costly to treat. 

When people are uninsured they may not seek treatment in a timely manner, meanwhile unintentionally exposing countless individuals to an infectious disease. 

Furthermore, they may not receive health care until their disease has progressed to a terminal stage, which may leave their family in an economic crisis. 

It is time for our country to acknowledge that coverage for all can help reduce the unnecessary suffering and costs of preventable and treatable diseases.

And it is time for our country to act on the fact that we can no longer afford to be a nation that allows persistent disparities to exist among ethnic and racial groups that result in diminished health status, preventable disease and premature death.

As Chair of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Health Task Force, I can assure you the Caucus has been deeply engaged in the health reform debate. 

In May of this year, the CHC convened over 30 national leaders in Hispanic Health to hear their views and to coordinate our message on the provisions of health reform that must be included to successfully eliminate health disparities in our Latino communities. 

Soon, in partnership with our Tri-Caucus colleagues we will introduce the HEALTH EQUITY and ACCOUNTABILITY ACT OF 2009.  This critically important piece of legislation takes the issue of health disparity elimination beyond just coverage and cost.

During multiple meetings with Congressional leaders and the Administration the TRI CAUCUS has made it clear that for our support:

1. The provisions of the HEALTH EQUITY BILL must be integrated throughout health reform legislation

2. At a minimum, final health reform legislation must include a robust public health insurance option 

3. It must eliminate the five year waiting period for all legal immigrants for public health insurance programs

4. And it must expand the existing public health safety net critical to our minority and underserved communities. 

But the voices of the Congressional Tri Caucus alone are not enough to guarantee these provisions will be included, and therefore your voices must also be heard loud and clear. 

Ladies and Gentlemen, we are up against some very powerful forces, whose self interests do not necessarily have your best interests in mind, or that of your community.  That is why your presence in our nation’s capital is so important.  It is your voices that carry the power to overcome our adversaries and pass the kind of Health Care Reform that truly will eliminate health disparities in our country.

The effort and sacrifice you made to be here today speaks volumes and sends a clear message to my colleagues in Congress and the Administration that enough is enough.

In the wealthiest of countries, it is time to eliminate the disgraceful barriers that permit race and income to determine the health status of our families and our communities.  

I encourage you to share with my colleagues your personal stories, and those of your friends and neighbors, who have suffered needlessly because they did not have a provider who understood their language or their concerns; or of those who have faced unnecessary preventable illnesses because they did not receive the recommended preventive services;

Tell them also, about those whose lives are threatened because they can’t afford lifesaving medications and treatments critical to their wellbeing.  It is critical for each of you to let Members of Congress know that you strongly believe, and demand, that any Health Reform Bill must eliminate health disparities and waiting periods, and provide meaningful competition through a robust public health option.

I stand with you in our shared commitment to achieve a Nation free of health disparities, with quality health outcomes for all, regardless of ethnic, racial or cultural background.

Again I sincerely thank you for being here.  For we all know that the only way to improve the health of ALL Americans is to enhance the health of EVERY American.”

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