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Press Advisory: Release of New Survey of Korean American Small Business Owners in LA and Health Reform

By November 10, 2009No Comments

MEDIA ADVISORY
For Immediate Release
November 10, 2009

Contacts:
Sookyung Oh, (202) 567-1397 (English)
Dae  Joong Yoon, (323) 937-3718 (Korean)
Andrew Sousa, (415) 568-3305

MAJORITY OF KOREAN AMERICAN SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS IN LOS ANGELES SUPPORT A PUBLIC PLAN OPTION IN HEALTH REFORM

LOS ANGELES – The National Korean American Service & Education Consortium (NAKASEC) will hold a press briefing to release a report which shows that 92% of Korean small business owners in Los Angeles support a public health insurance option in health care reform. Immigrant small businesses largely did not have health coverage, and supported access to health coverage for as many people as possible, regardless of immigration status.

One in three Korean Americans are uninsured, and the key factors that contribute to the lack of coverage including immigration status, affordability, and lack of work-based health insurance programs.
We Must Have Health Reform: Survey of Korean
American Small Business Owners in Los Angeles

Korean Resource Center (KRC)
900 S. Crenshaw Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90019
Thursday, November 12, 2009
10:30am – 11:30am

Speakers/Interview/Photo Opportunities:
EunSook Lee, Executive Director, NAKASEC
Dae Yoon, Executive Director, KRC
Deeana Jang, Policy Director, Asian & Pacific Islander American Health Forum (APIAHF)
Main Street Alliance small business leader / representative
Los Angeles small business owner and family member

  • Among uninsured respondents:
    96 percent expressed a clear desire to obtain health insurance but were unable to do so due to several obstacles, the foremost being cost.
  • 70 percent of respondents said they believed that their business would be more productive if they had access to coverage for themselves and their employees.
  • The top three issues for respondents within health care reform were: removal of the five-year bar on Medicaid to include legal immigrants; expansion of Medicaid for all children and pregnant women regardless of immigration status; and ensuring that more people are covered to reduce health costs for all.

The NAKASEC survey was modeled after the Main Street Alliance’s small business questionnaire, as well as the KRC’s survey of working women. Funding was provided by APIAHF.

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