With federal threats to Medicaid, other services, Mosqueda, other national county officials, call out disproportionate impact on Latino children

June 2, 2025

King County Councilmember Teresa Mosqueda on Monday joined a statement from the National Association of Hispanic County Officials – Mosqueda is an active member of this constituency group – on the healthcare disparity faced by Latino and other children of color.

The statement, detailing the increasing prevalence of deaths from gun violence, depression and other mental health issues, and increasing physical health issues among children, comes amid federal threats to Medicaid and other funding that provides critical services, especially in communities of color.

“The proposed cuts to Medicaid ultimately threaten everyone in King County and across the nation,” Mosqueda said. “But in the Latino community and other communities of color, the impacts will be felt far more, especially by children. It’s vital that we put a spotlight on these issues and advocate for full funding of these critical programs and services.”

The NAHCO statement points to studies that have found children of color or those who prefer a language other than English were less likely than white children to receive the same level of care. And facing these adversities, more than 3.6 million children went without health insurance in 2023. Nearly 20% of Latinos lacked health insurance, compared to 5% of non-Hispanic white people.

“All of these issues for Hispanic and Latino youth can be largely attributed to a lack of care and access to treatment,” the statement said. “Expanding access to affordable healthcare would allow those in the Hispanic and Latino communities to receive mental health services and crisis services, lessen their medical debt, and learn about healthier habits.”

Read the full statement here.