Meet Elena Delgado
SEIU Local 1

Elena Delgado works hard cleaning offices in downtown Houston and earns just $16,000 per year. Like so many service workers, Elena does not qualify for healthcare coverage that includes comprehensive healthcare benefits. Elena and her co-workers currently receive care at the Houston Service Workers Clinic, which provides preventive and primary care services for a low monthly fee. As critical as these services are, the clinic cannot protect Elena or workers like her from catastrophic healthcare costs--only a comprehensive health insurance plan can do that.

How reform will help Elena
Under both the House and Senate bills, Elena and many of her co-workers and their children would qualify for Medicaid, and would face almost no cost-sharing for comprehensive healthcare services. In addition, as Elena and her co-workers moved up the income ladder, they would qualify for insurance in the exchange rather than face the prospect of losing their Medicaid coverage and becoming uninsured.