A Texas report released last week reveals large gaps in healthcare access for Latinos in the state.

“Closing the Health Care Coverage Gap in Texas: A Latino Perspective,” published by the National Council of La Raza (NCLR), reveals that while some Latinos have signed up for coverage under the Affordable Care Act, many simply cannot afford it.

Texas is one of 24 states that opted not to expand Medicaid coverage to younger low-income adults. Another report released earlier this summer by the White House Council of Economic Advisers estimates that as a result of states’ decisions not to expand the program, 1.4 million Americans nationwide have been deprived of a regular source of clinic care.

The Lone Star State, which boasts the second-largest Latino population in the U.S., has around six million uninsured individuals. They make up 24 percent of the state’s population, of which 3.3 million, or half, are Latinos.

According to the Kaiser Family Foundation, almost 600,000 Texas Hispanics fall into a coverage gap where they earn too much to qualify for state Medicaid and too little to afford a plan on the Health Insurance Marketplace (HIP). They represent 60 percent of uninsured Texans who would be eligible to receive coverage under Medicaid expansion.

“It’s time to take a step in the right direction and expand access to care for more Texans; it’s the right thing to do to move Texas forward,” said Ramiro Cavazos, President and CEO of the San Antonio Hispanic Chamber of Commerce in a press release. “Expanding access to health care will help create robust communities, allowing opportunities to reduce incidences of persistent health concerns.”

The report notes that Hispanics are more likely to be faced with the likes of diabetes, HIV/AIDS, and other diseases that require routine treatment. Without preventative care, the likelihood of developing such conditions is far greater.

The brief also estimates that if Texas were to expand Medicaid, they would create 230,000 new jobs and boost the local economy by $67 billion within the 2014-2017 fiscal years. The federal government covers the full cost of Medicaid expansion for its first three years.

The NCLR joined forces with the San Antonio Hispanic Chamber of Commerce to release the report at a press event at Univision’s San Antonio studios last Tuesday.