Policy

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Learn how to write and submit a resolution with LMSA National Policy Vice Chair, Bertha Zazueta! Resolutions help shape the SALUD Summit and LMSA’s policy priorities for the coming year. The session will walk through the submission process, review timeline, and opportunities for engagement through the Congress of Delegates.

LMSA Statement on the Hepatitis B Vaccine– December 9, 2025

The Latino Medical Student Association (LMSA) affirms its strong support for the continued recommendation of universal hepatitis B vaccination for all newborns at birth, consistent with guidance from the CDC, WHO, and leading medical organizations across the country.

 Hepatitis B is a serious but preventable viral infection that can cause chronic liver disease, cirrhosis, liver failure, and liver cancer. Because infants infected at birth or in early childhood face up to a 90% risk of developing lifelong infection, giving the first vaccine dose within 24 hours is the most effective way to prevent transmission and protect newborns immediately after delivery.

 Universal birth-dose vaccination is especially critical for communities disproportionately impacted by hepatitis B and limited access to healthcare, including Latino, immigrant, uninsured, and medically underserved families. A universal approach closes gaps in maternal testing or prenatal care, ensures equitable protection for all newborns, reduces health disparities in screening and vaccination, and strengthens community immunity while lowering long-term healthcare burdens.

 LMSA, alongside organizations such as the American Academy of Pediatrics and the National Hispanic Medical Association, firmly opposes any effort to weaken or delay this evidence-based practice. LMSA remains committed to championing policies that protect children, advance preventive health, and promote equity, and proudly reaffirms its support for universal hepatitis B vaccination at birth for all newborns nationwide.

LMSA Statement on Ethical Artificial Intelligence (AI) Implementation in Healthcare– November 23, 2025

The Latino Medical Student Association (LMSA) recognizes both the promise and the potential risks of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in healthcare. As AI and machine learning systems are increasingly used in diagnostics, treatment decisions, and administrative processes, it is essential that their implementation upholds principles of equity, ethics, and inclusivity.

Emerging evidence shows that AI algorithms can reflect and perpetuate existing racial and ethnic biases, leading to unequal treatment recommendations, misdiagnoses, and barriers to care for Latino and other marginalized populations. These harms often stem from a lack of diversity in the data used to train AI systems, as well as the underrepresentation of Latino voices in their design, testing, and regulation.

LMSA is particularly concerned that biased AI tools may inadvertently contribute to the denial of care or insurance coverage for undocumented and low-income Latino patients through flawed risk stratification models. Without intentional oversight and community inclusion, technological innovation risks reinforcing structural inequities rather than resolving them.

Accordingly, LMSA:

1. Affirms its commitment to advocating for ethical, transparent, and bias-free AI implementation in healthcare;
2. Encourages medical students and educators to engage in dialogue and education on AI ethics and its implications for Latino health; and
3. Urges healthcare institutions and technology companies to include Latino healthcare professionals and patient advocates in the development, auditing, and regulation of AI tools to ensure equitable outcomes for all.

AI has the power to transform medicine—but only if it is built and applied with justice and accountability. LMSA stands ready to collaborate with partners across medicine, technology, and policy to ensure that innovation advances health equity, not inequality.

LMSA Statement: Upholding Confidentiality and Protecting Undocumented Patients in Healthcare Settings – November 23,2025

The Latino Medical Student Association (LMSA) reaffirms its commitment to health equity, patient confidentiality, and the ethical delivery of care to all individuals, regardless of immigration status.

Recent federal and state actions expanding immigration enforcement in sensitive locations, including healthcare facilities, have increased fear among undocumented patients and deterred many from seeking necessary medical care. According to the Urban Institute, approximately 17% of adults in immigrant families reported avoiding routine activities, including doctor or clinic visits, because they feared drawing attention to their immigration status, with Hispanic adults reporting avoidance rates as high as 24%. Such measures harm individual and community health, breach medical ethics, and weaken the trust essential to the patient–provider relationship.

LMSA stands with the American College of Emergency Physicians and other medical organizations in opposing any policies that require healthcare providers to refuse care or disclose a patient’s immigration status. These actions breach patient confidentiality, contradict the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), and risk violating federal law.

LMSA further underscores that under the Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act (EMTALA), all individuals are entitled to receive emergency medical care without discrimination or inquiry into immigration status. Protecting this right is essential to maintaining equitable access to care and ensuring that all patients can seek medical attention without fear.

LMSA calls on all medical students, educators, and healthcare professionals to uphold these legal and ethical obligations. We urge local LMSA chapters to actively educate their members and institutions about the rights of undocumented patients under HIPAA and EMTALA and to advocate for policies that preserve confidentiality and protect access to care for all communities.

Sources:

Bernstein, H., Gonzalez, D., Karpman, M., & Zuckerman, S. (2019). Adults in immigrant families report avoiding routine activities because of immigration concerns. https://www.urban.org/sites/default/files/publication/100626/2019.07.22_immigrants_avoiding_activities_final_v2_3.pdf

LMSA National Public Statement on Inhumane ICE Practices– June 16, 2025

The Latino Medical Student Association is a proud group of members many of whom are first-generation immigrants or children of immigrants. As an organization, we are deeply concerned by the recent escalation in immigration raids, racial profiling, and the unjust detention of individuals and families within Hispanic/Latino communities. Therefore, we cannot ignore the inhumanity of ongoing, current immigration-related policies and enforcement actions in Los Angeles and across the country. 

These events directly affect our patients, our families, and our ability to provide compassionate, culturally responsive care. As a nonpartisan health advocacy organization, we believe it is essential to name how all systemic issues—including immigration enforcement—can disrupt healthcare access, increase fear in clinical settings, and compound existing health inequities.

Immigration-related offenses are civil, not criminal. The framing and treatment of these cases through a criminal justice lens has been shown to negatively impact mental health, delay care-seeking behaviors, and disproportionately impact marginalized communities. These outcomes undermine public health and place additional strain on patients and providers alike.

We stand committed to supporting all communities we serve, regardless of immigration status, and will continue advocating for dignity, safety, and trust in medicine.

En solidaridad,

Cristhian Gutierrez Huerta, LMSA National President

Christopher Hernandez Salinas, LMSA National VP of Operations

Kimberly Flores, LMSA National VP of Programming

Devina Gonzalez Espinoza, LMSA National VP of Communications

Estefani Cota and Roger Villatoro, Southeast Region Co-Directors

Jessica Angel and Alexxis Gutierrez, Midwest Region Co-Directors

Kaitlynn Chaljub and Yessenia Hernandez-Cruz, Northeast Region Director and Director-Elect

Marlisa Olea-Gallardo and Margarita Ramirez Silva, West Region Co-Directors

Cade Cantu & Karla and Karen Viera, LMSA National Chief Technology Officers

Jesus Bazan Villicaña and Maithily Diaz, LMSA National Chief Financial Officers

Tasha Garayo, LMSA National Conference Chair

Arantxa Sanchez, LMSA National Chief Information Officer

Sara Jhanjar, LMSA National Diversity Chair

Andrea Cuamatzi Castelan, LMSA National Graphic Design

Katherine Tinco, Yennifer Garzon, Yonny Chavez, LMSA National Pre-medical Officers

Roy Madrid, LMSA National Fundraising Chair

Melissa Venegas, LMSA National Chief Deputy Development Officer

Guadalupe Vazquez-Perez, LMSA National Academic Affairs Chair

Dahlia Chavez, LMSA National Publications Chair

Deondra Montgomoery, LMSA National Public Relations Chair

Joint Statement on H.R. 1– May 28, 2025

On May 22, 2025, the House of Representatives passed H.R. 1 One Big Beautiful Bill Act, which contained disconcerting provisions aimed at cutting Medicaid funding by almost $700 billion dollars over the next decade. Medicaid has been a central fixture for 83 million Americans, providing essential healthcare and long-term care for children, seniors, people with disabilities, and low-income adults. The Affordable Care Act’s Medicaid expansion to adults who earn up to 138% of the federal poverty level ($21,597 for a single adult) has insured millions of Americans with health coverage. These potential changes will deprive over 10 million Americans from healthcare coverage through Medicaid and disproportionately affect communities of color.

Medicaid has been linked to increased access in rural and disadvantaged areas and improved health outcomes like decreased all-cause mortality by almost 2% and lower maternal mortality. Despite the overwhelming evidence that Medicaid is extremely popular across the political spectrum and saves lives, House Republicans have moved to sacrifice public health in favor of funding tax cuts that primarily benefit the wealthy. In a recent report authored by the Asian & Pacific Islander American Health Forum, the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights and other national health organizations, Medicaid is the primary source of healthcare for almost 30% of people of color. 

Medicaid has consistently enjoyed broad bipartisan support. A recent poll demonstrates that most Americans—Democrats, Republicans, and independents alike—favor maintaining and increasing spending on Medicaid access. Forty states across the political spectrum have opted into Medicaid expansion, recognizing the program’s role in improving health outcomes, supporting rural hospitals, and reducing uncompensated care. The harmful provisions in H.R. 1 stand in contrast to the values shared by voters of all political backgrounds who believe Americans should not be denied care due to their income.

The bill will attempt to cut costs by

1. Reducing the incentives and federal subsidies given to states for expanding Medicaid, specifically punishing any state that provides any health benefits or assistance to undocumented immigrants with lower expansion matches

2. Establish cost-sharing and copays of $35 for services provided to anyone above the federal poverty level ($15,650 for a single adult)

3. Instituting stringent work requirements and eligibility verifications that burdens Medicaid recipients and state governments with more paperwork

4. Prohibiting Medicaid payment to nonprofits and providers that focus on reproductive health, family planning, and abortion services like Planned Parenthood

5. Removing gender affirming care as an Essential Health Benefit under the Affordable Care Act and prohibiting coverage for any Medicaid/CHIP recipient 

6. Suspending rules that streamline application and enrollment into Medicaid and for patients who qualify for the Medicare Savings Program (covers Medicare premiums and cost-sharing for low-income Medicare beneficiaries)

We strongly condemn any legislation aimed at limiting equitable access to Medicaid or attacking access to abortion services and gender affirming care. Among the many destructive changes also embedded in H.R. 1, the elimination of federal student loans and loan forgiveness programs will severely limit access for students from all backgrounds to pursue careers in medicine and will undoubtedly compound the physician shortages in the very communities that rely on us. 

At the heart of these proposed cuts lies an uncomfortable truth – healthcare is not a human right if equal access is not afforded to everyone regardless of socioeconomic class and immigration status. These actions go against the principles set by other nations, the World Health Organization, and the EU among others, highlighting the precarious path that the U.S. government is currently steering the country down. If passed, H.R. 1 will greatly harm patients across the United States and hamper the ability for physicians and other healthcare providers to serve their communities. 

Call to Action:

To Senators – We call on all senators to reject this bill to protect the American public’s interest and maintain our great nation’s founding principles of “Life, Liberty and the pursuit of happiness” 

To Medical Students – we urge all medical students to contact their Senators in Congress and demand a No vote on H.R. 1

Signed,

Asian Pacific American Medical Student Association (APAMSA)

Student National Medical Association (SNMA)

Latino Medical Student Association (LMSA)

American Medical Student Association (AMSA)

American Physician Scientists Association (APSA)

Medical Students with Disabilities and Chronic Illness (MSDCI)

Student Osteopathic Medical Association (SOMA)