Washington, D.C.-- The National Hispanic Council on Aging (NHCOA), the nation’s premier organization dedicated to the wellbeing of Hispanic older adults and their families announces its support for the final healthcare reform package making its way through Congress and calls on all members of Congress to support its passage.

NHCOA advocates on behalf of Hispanic older adults and their families, the fastest growing age-ethnic demographic in the U.S.  “Our health and social systems should protect our parents and grandparents,” stated NHCOA President & CEO Dr. Yanira Cruz.   “Legislators have a moral imperative to ensure that the policies and programs they develop protect older Americans and safeguard their prosperity and promote their health and wellness.”

Health issues associated with aging comprise an especially critical issue in healthcare legislation.  With the aging of the Baby Boomers, the U.S. older adult population will double by 2030, making up 20% of the nation’s population.  The aging of U.S. society is reflective of a worldwide trend with current projections predicting that by 2050, older adults will outnumber the young.

NHCOA supports the current healthcare legislation in Congress, HR 4872, the healthcare and Education Affordability Reconciliation Act of 2010, as a strong step forward in ensuring that all U.S. older adults have access to quality healthcare.  For older Hispanic adults and their families, this legislation provides hope that older Hispanic adults will have access to the healthcare that they need through greater access to comprehensive health insurance.  The legislation also mandates greater efforts toward narrowing the disparities in the burden of chronic disease suffered by older Hispanic adults.  Hispanics, for example, are twice as likely as non-Hispanic whites to develop Diabetes Type 2 and more likely to suffer devastating complications and death from the disease.  In addition, research shows that Hispanics have earlier onset of Alzheimer’s disease and higher rates of stroke and some cancers.