Alert
Close

Help those devastated by the Oklahoma tornadoes. Click here to donate today and AARP will match your gift

AARP Membership: Just $16 a Year

Highlights

Open

Dunkin' Donuts

Members receive a Donut with purchase of a L or XL beverage

Social Security Calculator

What will your Social Security benefits pay out?

Savings Icon

Tanger Outlets

Access to a free coupon book

Technical Icon

Black Community

How to live your best life

Job Tips for Workers 50+

Hear insights from hiring employers

Contests and
Sweeps

You Could Win $50,000!

Plus you’ll get free tips and tools to help you find your perfect path to retirement
See official rules.

Health
Webinars

Learn From the Experts

Sign up now for an upcoming webinar or find materials from a past session.

learning
centers

Get smart strategies for managing health conditions.

 

Arthritis

Heart Disease

Diabetes

Most Popular
Articles

Viewed

Recommended

Commented

You May Also
Like

With Dr. Elmer Huerta

AARP VIVA TV Presents Condición Crítica With Dr. Elmer Huerta

A television special about the health care issues that impact the Hispanic community

  • Text
  • Print
  • Comments
  • Recommend
Condicion Critica - Reforma de Salud

En español | Condición Critica aired on Saturday, May 8, 2010, on Telemundo and was  immediately followed by a live chat with Dr. Elmer Huerta. (Read the conversation here.)

***

Condición Critica is an hour-long television special that brings attention to disparities in health status and health care in the Hispanic community compared to the general population and the importance of prevention. The show tells the personal stories of Hispanics who live with disease and chronic health problems; struggle to pay for their medications or medical bills; do not have the luxury of visiting a doctor when they have a pain that might be the sign of something more serious; or have “fallen through the cracks” because, though insured, their out-of-pocket medical costs are too high. The show also highlights some of the people and organizations that are serving those in need as well as the growing trend of travelling overseas for medical care.

The show was hosted by Dr. Elmer Huerta, a renowned specialist in prevention. Other nationally recognized experts in the show include:

• Maria Rosa, National Council of La Raza
• Yanira Cruz, National Hispanic Council on Aging
• Ciro Sumaya, National Hispanic Medical Association
• Eduardo Sanchez, Partnership on Prevention
• Dr. Annette Ramirez, Latinos for National Health Insurance

SEGMENT ONE

More than 46 million Hispanics live in the United States; one-quarter live in poverty and one-third are uninsured. Many suffer from chronic health conditions and have limited access to health insurance and preventive care. Thanks to Remote Area Medical, the largest free health clinic in the U.S., thousands of uninsured people in Los Angeles, many of them Hispanic, received medical, dental and eye-exams for the first time in years.

SEGMENT TWO
Health disparities in the Hispanic community are alarming: 25 percent have never had a cholesterol check; 70 percent over age 50 have never had a colonoscopy; and more than 50 percent of women have never had a mammogram. Virginia Garcia, a cancer survivor in Denver, who lost her job at the time of diagnosis, tells her inspiring story of how she advocated for herself and found alternative forms of financial assistance for her cancer treatments.

SEGMENT THREE

Free and low-cost health community clinics are available nationwide for people who cannot afford coverage. One such clinic is Proyecto Salud in Maryland which has seen its client base grow by the thousands this past decade.  International medical travel is an option and trend growing in popularity for many Hispanics due to cost-savings, language and cultural reasons.  Dr. Huerta explains the importance of researching the quality of doctors and hospitals before making the decision to receive medical care overseas.

Topic Alerts

You can get weekly email alerts on the topics below. Just click “Follow.”

Manage Alerts

Processing

Please wait...

progress bar, please wait

Tell Us WhatYou Think

Please leave your comment below.

You must be signed in to comment.

Sign In | Register

More comments »

Health Blog

Discounts & Benefits

AARP Discounts on ACE Services

Members save 20% off on personal training and group fitness with American Council on Exercise.

Grandson (8-9) whispering to grandfather, close-up

Members save on hearing care with the AARP® Hearing Care Program provided by HearUSA.

Member Benefits

Members receive exclusive member benefits and affect social change. Join Today

bring health To Life-Visual MD

featured
Groups

Social Security

How to strengthen Social Security for future generations. Discuss

Medicare & Insurance

Share health coverage information and experiences common to being age 50+. Join

Health Nuts

Share heart-smart recipes, fitness tips and stress relievers. Join