9 Million Latinos Risk Soaring Health Costs as ACA Enrollment Opens
Washington, D.C. — As open enrollment for the Affordable Care Act (ACA) begins today, nine million Latinos could see their health-care costs soar while Republicans refuse to expand enhanced subsidies and end the government shutdown.
Latinos have been among the biggest beneficiaries of the ACA, particularly in states with large Latino populations such as California, Texas, and Florida. For millions of families in these states, affordable coverage through the ACA has meant the difference between stability and crisis.
Since the ACA was signed into law, more than 9 million Latinos have gained access to care they otherwise would not have had—including 1.3 million Latino children who now have insurance and 2 million young Latino adults who are covered through their parents’ health plans. This is the first time in our nation’s history that more Latinos have access to coverage. That progress is now at risk.
Warning of the catastrophic impacts this will have in the Latino community, Voto Latino issued the following statement:
“Latinos remain one of the most uninsured populations in our country. Thanks to the Affordable Care Act, more in our community have finally had the opportunity to choose health coverage at affordable rates. But now, as Republicans deepen their assault on America’s working families, they’re choosing partisan politics over people’s health — blocking efforts to expand enhanced subsidies that millions rely on to keep their care affordable. This refusal to act threatens to further increase health-care costs for families already struggling to keep up with rising costs of housing, groceries, and basic needs—and now facing the loss of vital SNAP benefits that help put food on the table.
The ACA has meant more than just insurance. It has allowed parents to take their children to the doctor without fear of financial ruin, young adults to stay insured, and seniors to afford life-saving prescriptions. It has meant mothers getting the prenatal care they need, families catching illnesses before they become life-threatening, and students staying healthy enough to stay in school. In communities that have long faced barriers to care, the ACA has closed critical gaps and given millions of Latino families the security of knowing that their health and their futures matter.
It is shameful that in the richest, most powerful country in the world, our communities have to wait for ‘later’ simply because Republicans in Congress remain committed to partisan games. Make no mistake: Every day this shutdown drags on and Congress fails to act, families lose access, costs go up, and trust in government erodes. And we will continue to remind Latino voters across the country who’s at fault and who is leaving the working people keeping this great country functioning. Actions have consequences, and this failure to act won’t just hurt families — it will be remembered at the ballot box.”
###
Voto Latino is a civic advocacy organization dedicated to educating and empowering the next generation of Latino voters while working to build a more inclusive and representative democracy. Since its founding, Voto Latino has registered nearly two million voters. In 2024, the organization took legal action to protect voting rights, filing multiple lawsuits in Texas, Arizona, and North Carolina to safeguard access to the ballot ahead of the elections.