Before the year ends, Latinos head to a kiosk and an office with signs for “Obamacare,” hoping to renew their health insurance plans. Salsa music blares from the food court in a dilapidated Miami shopping center.
Federal data indicates that the areas surrounding this mall are the most popular places in the nation for the health care overhaul implemented by former Democratic President Barack Obama. Republicans have also gained ground in the area in recent years, with Donald Trump holding multiple rallies here in an effort to reach out to Latino voters.
The current front-runner for the Republican nomination in 2024, Donald Trump, has promised to step up efforts to repeal and replace the 2010 law. This move would have a significant impact on the area and may undo some of the GOP shift among South Florida’s Latino population, according to experts.
The reelection campaign of President Joe Biden has already taken advantage of President Trump’s remarks regarding “Obamacare,” which was implemented during Biden’s tenure as vice president, in an attempt to influence the highly anticipated rematch with Trump in 2019.
“Health insurance is a fundamental necessity for all individuals,” stated Odalys Arevalo, a managing partner of a Miami-based health insurance company catering to Spanish-speaking customers.
Furthermore, I am aware that no Republican who has obtained health insurance through Obamacare would tolerate its removal over time. That is a reality.
Arevalo and Mercy Cabrera, her business partner, opened enrollment centers to assist people in navigating the insurance marketplaces created by the Affordable Care Act. They recalled how some Cubans would say “no, no, no” when they saw the name “Obamacare,” which was created by Republicans who opposed the overhaul and saw it as an expensive government takeover of health insurance.
It is also my knowledge that no Republican who has obtained health insurance through Obamacare would tolerate its removal over time. It is a reality.
Recalling how some Cubans would walk away saying “no, no, no” after seeing the name “Obamacare,” which was coined by Republicans opposing the overhaul as an expensive government takeover of health insurance, Arevalo and her business partner, Mercy Cabrera, opened enrollment centers to assist people in navigating the Affordable Care Act’s insurance marketplaces.
Many Latinos were drawn to consider it because insurers could no longer refuse coverage due to preexisting medical conditions, according to Arevalo. The women began enrolling tens of thousands of people in the ensuing years, garnering the moniker “Madrinas del Obamacare,” or “Obamacare” godmothers, alluding to the significant role that godparents play in Latino culture.
Since then, they have changed their name to “Las Madrinas de los Seguros,” or “insurance godmothers,” in recognition of the additional plans they provide. However, they still use the term “Obamacare” in their advertisements and on the walls of their offices.
All over Miami, “Obamacare” is displayed on bus signs, business signs, and advertising flags. Its widespread use in this country is demonstrated by federal data from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.
Through the health law, about 3.4 million Hispanics have obtained insurance. Over 3.2 million people chose a plan in Florida during the previous year’s enrollment period, which ran from November 2022 to January 2022. The state leads the nation in enrollment. Miami-Dade is the county with the highest enrollment rate, accounting for over one-fourth of the total population with roughly 750,000 users.
Additionally, Florida is one of ten states that have refused to allow the health law’s provision to expand Medicaid coverage.
The two ZIP codes that have seen the highest sign-ups, both this year and last, are Doral and Hialeah. These areas are center points for the Venezuelan and Cuban communities that live just north of Miami and are frequently visited by Trump during his rallies and visits.
Trump said that “the cost of Obamacare is out of control, plus, it’s not good Healthcare” on his Truth Social social media site last month. He also stated that he is looking at alternatives, but he hasn’t disclosed any plans. However, Trump declared that he would not give up on ending it, remembering how the late Senator John McCain, R-Ariz., stopped the previous president’s attempt to do so in July 2017.
Republicans were able to pass the most unpopular part of the law during Trump’s administration: a provision that eliminated the fine for not having health insurance. Residents of South Florida claim this made them feel more comfortable with the plans.
In a recent editorial, The Miami Herald referred to Trump’s plans as “exceedingly out of touch with voters.” Trump’s plans are also echoed by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, another GOP presidential candidate for 2024.
A swift reaction was sparked by Biden’s campaign, and Florida Democratic Party chair Nikki Fried named a region where “Obamacare” is well-liked.
According to Fried, “Trump’s anti-health care agenda would be hardest on Miami-Dade County.”
59% of Americans say they think favorably of the Affordable Care Act, according to a May 2023 KFF poll. A similar survey by the nonprofit health policy organization found that 66% of Hispanics feel favorably about the law.
Sixty-two percent of Florida voters in the 2022 midterm elections agreed that it should be the duty of the federal government to ensure that everyone in the nation has access to health care, according to APVoteCast, a comprehensive survey of American voters. In the 2022 midterm elections, roughly one-third of Florida voters expressed the opinion that the government shouldn’t handle that. Seventy-seven percent of Florida’s Latino or Hispanic midterm voters believed that the federal government should be in charge of guaranteeing health care coverage for all, while just five percent disagreed.
Venezuelan-born Zulina Ruiz, 72, is a retired lawyer who claims she learned about the Affordable Care Act options shortly after coming to the United States in 2017.
She expressed her gratitude, in particular, for being able to take medication to treat her high blood pressure. The law also provides coverage to holders of green cards, refugees, and other migrants who have been granted temporary protected status or who have recently arrived on humanitarian parole.
For me, this is really significant. A candidate can’t just make this program vanish, in my opinion,” she remarked. “They would deny insurance to millions of people with low incomes.”
Although Ruiz obtained U.S. citizenship in May, he has not joined a political party. She has no idea who she will support in the upcoming election.
Ruiz stated, “I am still not decided, and we don’t have official candidates yet,” adding that she continues to feel more politically connected to Venezuela. Trump’s record of opposing socialist leaders throughout Latin America, including the imposition of sanctions by the White House on Venezuelan officials, is largely responsible for the growing support for Republicans in Miami.
However, Ruiz stated, “Health policy is a top priority for me.”
In battleground states, the Biden campaign has released advertisements contrasting their efforts to reduce drug costs with Trump’s reaffirmed vow to repeal health care reform. Florida markets were excluded from the advertising campaign.
One of the “Godmothers of Obamacare,” Arevalo believes that Miami voters may not agree with every stance taken by the candidates they end up supporting.
Regarding a local ruling on “Obamacare,” however, she stated that after people in Miami gained a better understanding of the program, their support for it grew.
Some people came forward after Trump was elected and declared their opposition to Obamacare. Regarding what they told people, she remarked, “We said, ‘Obamacare, Trumpcare, whatever.'” “It’s crucial that everyone can take care of their health and has access to health insurance.”
