The California Endowment and the Kaiser Family Foundation Release “Health Reform Hits Main Street” Animation in Spanish

Health Reform Explained – En Español 

MENLO PARK, Calif. (January 12, 2012) – Today, The California Endowment and the Kaiser Family Foundation are releasing a Spanish-language version of “Health Reform Hits Main Street,” the popular animation that explains the major provisions of the Affordable Care Act.

Written and produced by the Kaiser Family Foundation, the Spanish-language version of the animated movie features narration by a partner of The Endowment, Dra. Isabel Gómez-Bassols, psychologist and host of the Univision show “Doctora Isabel, el Angel de la Radio.” The Spanish-language translation was done with support from The Endowment.

The animation was developed to inform and educate the millions of Spanish-speakers who might be affected by provisions in the Affordable Care Act, either now or in 2014 when health insurance coverage expands.

Although only 16 percent of the U.S. population is Latino, Latinos represent 31 percent of the non-elderly uninsured. And only 35 percent of the Latino population nationwide receives their health insurance coverage through an employer.

”Too many Californians still do not know how the new health law impacts them and yet nearly 5 million stand to benefit from it,” said Robert K. Ross MD, president and CEO of The Endowment. “Many of those individuals are from our Spanish-speaking community. This translation is an example of our commitment to reach and educate millions of Latino and lower-income individuals about how our health care system is changing and how they can take advantage of the new provisions under the new law.”

“People around the country have used ‘Health Reform Hits Main Street’ as a tool to get away from the politics and understand how the new health law actually works and could affect them,” said Kaiser Family Foundation President and CEO Drew Altman. “With the Spanish version of the health care animation, a new audience will be able to join in the important conversations the nation is having about our health system. We are grateful that Dr. Ross and The Endowment took the initiative to make a Spanish translation possible,” Altman added.

The English version of the animated movie features narration by Cokie Roberts, ABC News and NPR commentator and a member of the Foundation’s Board of Trustees. The English version of the animation is available here.

The animation is part of Kaiser’s Health Reform Source, an online gateway providing easy access to new and comprehensive resources on the health reform law.

The animation has three major sections: explaining problems in the current health care system, short-term changes that will take place between now and 2014, and major provisions that will take effect in 2014.

Visit the Health Reform Source online for other new features and tools including an interactive timeline showing when health reform provisions take effect, all the latest polling data, short videos with Kaiser experts answering specific questions about the law on a variety of health policy topics, links to other information resources, the latest headlines on health reform from Kaiser Health News, and FAQs about the new law.

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The Kaiser Family Foundation, a leader in health policy analysis, health journalism and communication, is dedicated to filling the need for trusted, independent information on the major health issues facing our nation and its people. The Foundation is a non-profit private operating foundation, based in Menlo Park, California. Visit the Kaiser Family Foundation’s website at http://www.kff.org.

The California Endowment, a private, statewide health foundation, was established in 1996 to expand access to affordable, quality health care for underserved individuals and communities, and to promote fundamental improvements in the health status of all Californians. Headquartered in downtown Los Angeles, The Endowment has regional offices in Sacramento, Oakland, Fresno and San Diego, with program staff working throughout the state. The Endowment challenges the conventional wisdom that medical settings and individual choices are solely responsible for people’s health. The Endowment believes that health happens in neighborhoods, schools, and with prevention. For more information, visit The Endowment’s homepage at http://www.calendow.org.