Dr. Seciah Aquino, Executive Director of the Latino Coalition for a Healthy California, followed with her address. She commenced by highlighting the significance of collaboration between government bodies, community-based organizations, clinics, media, and all partners in the endeavor to ensure community safety and well-being.
Dr. Aquino illuminated the critical role played by the Latino Coalition for a Healthy California, representing over 40% of California’s population, which accounts for 16 million Latinos. She expressed appreciation for the transparency extended by the California Department of Health Care Services (DHCS), which unveiled a dashboard displaying pertinent data related to the redetermination process. According to this data, 53.2% of those disenrolled were Latinos, a figure underscoring the scale of the issue.
She emphasized the need to address the concerningly high number of 117,849 Latinos losing their enrollment, highlighting the ongoing challenges faced by Latinos and other communities of color in the aftermath of the pandemic. Dr. Aquino noted that the Latino community is still recuperating from the pandemic’s health and economic impact, making Medi-Cal indispensable for safety, opportunity, and recovery.
Dr. Aquino shared that communication has been pivotal in recent months, employing methods such as mail, text messages, and email to disseminate information. She noted that there is still fear and confusion within the community regarding logistics, and mentioned the Latino Coalition’s ongoing listening tour across California to comprehend how community members are receiving and comprehending the information.
She stressed the necessity for communication in multiple languages to cater to the diverse population of Latinos, encompassing indigenous Mesoamerican communities. Dr. Aquino emphasized the need to diversify language access to ensure all community members receive critical information.
She noted that while mail-based forms have proven useful for those acquainted with the process, text messages play a crucial role in notifying community members of changes. However, follow-up information is often lacking. The Latino Coalition’s efforts revolve around educating community members about the process and logistics in their language.
Dr. Aquino also underscored the media’s importance in disseminating information, including specific logistics such as contact details for navigators providing assistance. She highlighted the necessity for personalized support, especially for individuals who haven’t received or located their yellow envelopes.
She voiced concerns about language access and data disaggregation for Indigenous communities, urging a deeper comprehension of what “Latinx” entails and the inclusion of specific numbers for different Indigenous American communities. She called for systemic solutions beyond outreach efforts to address ongoing enrollment challenges and emphasized that investing in health translates to a healthier economy.
In conclusion, Dr. Aquino conveyed her determination to tackle the challenges facing the Latino community, underlining the significance of safeguarding community safety and health through collaborative efforts and systemic solutions.
