Latinos support Health Care Reform.

A new poll released by Latino Decisions, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Center for Health Policy at the University of New Mexico (UNM-RWJF Center), and impreMedia, shows a widespread consensus among the Latino/Hispanic electoral about the importance of health care reform and indicates significant support for expansion of coverage. For the first time, health care tops the list of national issues identified by respondents as the most important issue Congress and the President need to address. This is particularly impressive, given that in April 2009 a similar Latino Decisions poll found that only 6% of the Latino electorate had identified health care as the most important issue.

The national survey of 1,000 Latino registered voters shows that there is broad-based and overwhelming support not just for health care reform, but 74% support a plan that includes a public option to compete with private insurance programs, 67% say health care should be made available regardless of citizenship or legal residency, and 61% would still like to see universal health care. “This poll suggests that a bill with the public option that also provides access to those who are non-citizens will be looked upon favorably by the Latino electorate,” said Gabriel Sanchez of the UNM-RWJF Center.

The survey of those polled also found, that despite Latinos being heavily courted by the candidates for their support during the presidential elections, a large segment (44%) of the Latino population feels that their needs have not been taken into account during the national health care debate. “Lawmakers will once again tackle health care reform when they return to Washington after the Thanksgiving recess, and this poll strongly suggests that they have to do a much better job of addressing the needs of the nation’s fastest growing electorate,” said Latino Decisions Investigator, Matt Barreto.

“We are at a historic moment when real health care reform is possible and Latinos want to see Congress take action,” said Monica Lozano, SVP of impreMedia. “How much they take these into account will be important as we move into the mid-term elections of 2010,” said Lozano.

The executive summary of the poll results is available online at:
http://healthpolicy.unm.edu/sites/default/files/Executive Summary_Survey of Latino registered voters on Health Care Reform.pdf>

The top-line results from the survey are available online at:
http://healthpolicy.unm.edu/sites/default/files/RESULTS_Survey of Latino registered voters on Health Care Reform.pdf>

The demographic profile of those surveyed can be found online at:
http://healthpolicy.unm.edu/sites/default/files/Demographic Profile_Survey of Latino registered voters on Health Care Reform.pdf>

In the coming weeks, the UNM-RWJF Center for Health Policy will be producing a detailed research brief providing further analysis of some key findings from this survey.