The Impact of Health Reform and the Affordable Care Act (ACA)
a
on Latinos and Immigrants in the Omaha-Council Bluffs Metropolitan Area

by Jim P. Stimpson, Ph.D., Kelly Shaw-Sutherland, M.P.A., Yang Wang, M.H.E.M
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Introduction

The Latino population in the Omaha-Council Bluffs area grew by nearly 93.0% between 2000 and 2010 (1). In comparison, the White population grew by just 6.0% and Black population grew by about 14.0% during that same time period. Most of Iowa and Nebraska’s foreign-born and Latino populations are concentrated in the Omaha-Council Bluffs metropolitan statistical area (MSA). Approximately 52.2% of the foreign-born population is Latino, and about 61.4% of that population is non-citizens (2). In addition, among Latinos under 18 years of age, approximately 11.5% are foreign-born, of which nearly 90.0% are non-citizens (1). In states like Iowa and Nebraska where both the foreign-born and Latino populations have experienced significant growth, access to health insurance coverage requires careful study, particularly because Latinos are the most likely of all racial and ethnic groups in the United States to be uninsured (1, 4).

In March 2010, the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA, P.L. 111-148) as amended by the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010 (HCERA, P.L. 111-152) (referred to hereafter as the ACA) was signed into law as the most comprehensive piece of health care reform legislation since the passage of Medicare and Medicaid legislation in 1965 (5). The main goal of the law is to expand access to health care for US citizens and legal residents. Given the scope and magnitude of the law, there is a need to understand the impact of the ACA on different populations and local areas. This fact sheet describes access to care for and the impact of recent national and state health policies on the Omaha-Council Bluffs MSA’s Latino and immigrant populations.

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Report Materials

The Impact of Health Reform and the Affordable Care Act (ACA) on Latinos Area (English) (pdf)

El Impacto de la Reforma de Salud y la Ley del Cuidado de Salud a Bajo Precio (ACA) en los Latinos (español) (pdf)

Health Profile of Nebraska's Latino Population – Full Report (pdf)

Health Profile of Nebraska's Latino Population – Executive Summary in English (pdf)

Perfil de Salud de la Población Latina de Nebraska – Resumen ejecutivo en español (pdf)

Health Profile of Nebraska's Latino Population (web)