In May, the National Hispanic Health Foundation (NHHF) wrote to the U.S. House of Representatives to express our strong opposition to the health care cuts included in the current budget reconciliation package. Proposals to slash Medicaid funding and roll back enhanced ACA premium subsidies would have had catastrophic consequences for Latino communities and other underserved populations across the country. These are not just numbers on a spreadsheet — they are lifelines for millions of patients managing chronic conditions like obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, asthma, and cancer, all of which disproportionately impact communities of color. Pulling away coverage during a time of rising medical costs and widening health disparities was both dangerous and indefensible.
We were particularly concerned that these cuts would have reduced access to essential medications and routine care for patients already on the margins of the healthcare system. Medicaid covers 3 in ten Latino adults and half of Latino children. Stripping these supports would have sent coverage rates backward and increased uncompensated care at the very community health centers and safety-net hospitals that serve high-need populations.
We did, however, applaud the Committee’s inclusion of long-overdue reforms to pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs), whose opaque pricing practices and profit-driven incentives have long inflated out-of-pocket drug costs for patients. Curbing PBM abuses was critical — but it had to be paired with policies that preserved access to affordable coverage. We also encouraged the Committee to prioritize permanent authorization and funding for community health centers, expand culturally competent workforce development, and protect access to generic medications through greater supply chain transparency and FDA support.
The National Hispanic Health Foundation remained committed to supporting pragmatic, patient-centered reforms that reduce costs, increase transparency, and strengthen the safety net. But we rejected efforts to trade coverage for cost-cutting. We urged you to reject the proposed healthcare cuts and instead build on bipartisan progress to ensure every community — especially those most at risk — has consistent, affordable access to care.