NBC Latino: Paul Ryan’s policies, if implemented, will have deep consequences for Latinos

[highplainsdem]

http://nbclatino.com/2012/08/12/opinion-paul-ryans-policies-if-implemented-will-have-deep-consequences-for-latinos/

Just to give you one example, Medicare reform will have a great impact on the future wellness of Latinos. Latinos make up a young population with a median age of 27 years, while the median age of non-Hispanic whites is 42 years old. This means that the vast majority of the population that is retired is non-Hispanic white, and by extension, the vast majority of Medicare recipients are also non-Hispanic white.

Yet, any tinkering of Medicare will have the greatest impact on the benefits of future participants, not current ones. Meaning, the burden of any cost cutting or experimenting with the program will fall largely on the shoulders of Latinos. For instance, under Ryan’s voucher plan for Medicare, the voucher could lose half its value in just 14 years given the increasing costs of health care.

And since most recipients of Medicare are satisfied with their health plan, Latinos should be rightfully concerned that they will not get the same benefits when they retire.

Another example. Latinos are not only young, but they are also poor. The median wealth of non-Hispanic whites is about eighteen times that of Hispanics, and the gap between the two continues to widen. This means that more than a quarter of Hispanics depend on Medicaid for their health care needs.

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[UTUSN]

1. R#1 & K n/t