SEIU releases video in Spanish on new state exchanges

The Service Employees International Union today unveiled a Spanish-language video featuring two Latino doctors aimed at encouraging Latinos to enroll in a health plan through the new state insurance exchanges.

Two Latino physicians, Dr. Say Salomón and Dr. Michelle Espinoza, recorded videos in English and Spanish and talked about the benefits of signing up once state insurance exchanges become active Tuesday.

SEIU will focus its educational efforts in 12 states with large Latino populations: California, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Illinois, Maryland, Michigan, New Mexico, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Texas and Washington. Across the country, Latinos have significantly higher rates of uninsurance than whites, blacks or Asians.

“Although the healthcare law's inevitable now, not everybody knows about it—not even in the healthcare community,” Salomón said in a news release. “People aren't yet clear on the basics—they think it's a government program and don't realize that the marketplaces are run with private insurers. They compete against each other, and that's what's lowering costs already.”

HHS estimates that 10.2 million Latinos without insurance could have increased access to coverage starting Oct. 1. The government has established its own Spanish-language website with more information on the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.

One challenge is informing the public that undocumented residents are not eligible to buy insurance on the exchanges or receive subsidies or Medicaid. A new survey by the Kaiser Family Foundation found many undocumented California residents, who comprise about one-fifth of the state's uninsured population, wrongly believe they will be eligible for coverage. The SEIU campaign does not address that issue.

Check out the English video here, and the Spanish video here.

Follow Ashok Selvam on Twitter: @MH_aselvam