On Dec. 11, Lourdes Health System hosted U.S. Secretary of Labor Thomas Perez and community leaders as part of Health Insurance Enrollment event held at Our Lady of Lourdes Medical Center. Secretary Perez came to Camden to hear about efforts to underway to increase enrollment, especially among the Hispanic community.
Secretary Perez met health system leadership and toured Our Lady of Lourdes Medical Center’s Patient Access department and Critical Care Unit, where he learned about Lourdes’ efforts to increase Marketplace and Medicaid enrollment and the positive impact the Affordable Care Act (ACA) has had on patients and families. He also met a Camden resident who can treat his hepatitis C infection and other health conditions now that he has affordable medical coverage through the Health Insurance Marketplace.
The resident, who has been in recovery for nearly three years, had never had insurance prior to the ACA. Now, he said, he can seek care with the knowledge that he can obtain healthcare without shame. The ACA’s goal to expand health coverage aligns closely with Lourdes’ mission to provide quality, compassionate care to all, especially those in need, the medical center said in a statement. Many of the uninsured live without access to primary care and depend on emergency room visits, creating a cycle where conditions are left until they are critical before treatment is sought, the statement said, adding that the ACA has helped to break that cycle.