On February 25th, 2025, the National Hispanic Council on Aging (NHCOA) hosted its first Virtual Legislative Breakfast of the year, providing an important platform for legislators and constituents to discuss policies affecting Hispanic/Latino communities. The event, sponsored by Novo Nordisk, focused on the health and well-being of older Latino adults, addressing issues such as chronic disease, access to care, and health disparities.
Dr. Yanira Cruz, President & CEO of NHCOA, opened the event by emphasizing the urgency of addressing health disparities and protecting essential programs such as Medicaid, Medicare and Social Security. Dr. Cruz stressed the importance of informed solutions tailored to Hispanic communities and encouraged attendees to advocate for these programs that help reduce health disparities for underserved communities.
The Legislative Breakfast continued with a presentation by Cristina Pacheco, Director of Policy and Development for NHCOA, who discussed the need to improve access to healthcare for Hispanic and Latino communities. She highlighted barriers such as language differences, cultural factors, and economic disparities. Ms. Pacheco also addressed the impact of Medicaid expansion under the Affordable Care Act, with some states improving access to care while others, such as Texas and Florida, still face high uninsured rates. Another major concern was the underrepresentation of Hispanic personal within major healthcare providers and the field of medicine, a gap in cultural awareness as well as translation needs that leads to communication barriers between patients and their doctors and an overall lower quality of care. Ms. Pacheco urged policymakers to expand Medicaid, invest in community health, and improve telemedicine services to bridge gaps in care.
Following Ms. Pacheco, Christine Perez, NHCOA’s Director of Programs, presented findings from the organization’s latest public health research. NHCOA conducted virtual focus groups with 72 Hispanic adults from several states and Puerto Rico. These discussions revealed gaps in knowledge about cardiovascular disease, particularly LDL-C, often referred to as “bad cholesterol.” Ms. Perez noted that older participants were generally better informed than younger ones, and economic hardship, lack of insurance and limited access to care remained significant barriers to treatment. Participants acknowledged diet and exercise as key strategies for managing cholesterol, with some openness to clinical trials, particularly among older individuals. In addition, Ms. Perez highlighted concerns about the “fail first” insurance stratagem known as STEP therapy, citing participants’ vocal frustration about insurance delays affecting their treatment plans.
Another speaker at the event was Dr. Ray Serrano, Director of Research and Policy at the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC). Dr. Serrano emphasized the critical need for access to healthcare, especially for marginalized communities facing Medicaid cuts that could impact obesity treatment. He highlighted obesity as a chronic disease that requires long-term care, and warned of the risks posed by a shift to a block grant system, particularly for immigrant communities.
Dr. Serrano also highlighted advocacy efforts to expand Medicaid and Medicare coverage of anti-obesity medications, with a significant breakthrough occurring when the Treatment and Reduction of Obesity Act (TROA) was advanced in legislative discussions. While progress has been made, he notes that continued advocacy is essential to ensure policy changes that support long-term access to health care.
Robert Blancato, Executive Director of the National Association of Nutrition and Aging Services Programs (NANASP), closed the event by emphasizing the importance of protecting Medicaid and other programs vital to older adults. He warned against the possible elimination of funding for the Social Services Block Grant (SSBG), which provides essential services such as Meals on Wheels and Adult Protective Services. He also advocated for the reauthorization of the Older Americans Act, which supports nutrition, caregiver services, and preventive health for older adults.
The Legislative Breakfast reaffirmed NHCOA’s commitment to advancing policies that promote the health and well-being of Hispanic and Latino communities and encourages continued collaboration and advocacy at both the local and national levels.
If you missed it or want to re-watch it, you can find the recording of the event on NHCOA’s Youtube channel: http://youtu.be/JCshY2v0JcQ.
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