PRESS RELEASE

AAPCHO Celebrates Bicameral Introduction of the Health Equity and Accountability Act

Urges Congress to Pass Comprehensive Legislation Addressing Health Inequities Affecting Underserved and Marginalized Communities

July 25, 2024
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
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WASHINGTON, DC – The Association of Asian Pacific Community Health Organizations (AAPCHO) released the following statement celebrating the bicameral reintroduction of the Health Equity and Accountability Act (HEAA). AAPCHO commends Senator Mazie Hirono, Congresswoman Barbara Lee, Congresswoman Judy Chu, and the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus (CAPAC) for leading bicameral introduction in the 118th Congress. HEAA is comprehensive and broadly-supported legislation addressing health inequities affecting communities that are underserved and marginalized, including Asian Americans (AAs), Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders (NH/PIs), across the nation’s health care system. 

Adam Carbullido, AAPCHO’s director of policy and advocacy, speaks at a press conference on the bicameral reintroduction of HEAA in the 118th Congress.

Adam Carbullido, AAPCHO’s director of policy and advocacy, speaks at a press conference on the bicameral reintroduction of HEAA in the 118th Congress. Photo courtesy of Victor Yang.

Since 2003, HEAA has been a top priority of the Congressional Tri Caucus, comprised of CAPAC, the Congressional Black Caucus, and the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, and is supported by a community working group to update and expand the legislation to reflect growing and emerging needs. More than 150 patient, provider, disease, and civil rights organizations have contributed to HEAA since its inception. 

“Every person should have high quality and affordable health care regardless of where they live, language they speak, or ability to pay,” said Jeffrey B. Caballero, MPH, executive director of the Association of Asian Pacific Community Health Organizations (AAPCHO). “HEAA is visionary legislation to address the vast inequities facing Asian American, Native Hawaiian, Pacific Islander, and all communities who are underserved in every sector of our health care system, including vulnerable populations getting care at community health centers. AAPCHO is proud to join Senator Hirono, Congresswoman Lee, CAPAC Chair Chu, and the Congressional Tri Caucus in introducing HEAA in the 118th Congress. We appreciate our partnership with the Asian & Pacific Islander American Health Forum and the broad coalition of patient, provider, disease, and civil rights groups who contributed to this bill. We look forward to Congress advancing HEAA’s vision of a health care system that truly meets the needs of our nation’s diverse communities.”

Thu Quach, PhD, AAPCHO board president, said, “Community health centers were founded on the vision that everyone should be able to get the care they need regardless of their ability to pay. HEAA builds on that vision by addressing the deep inequities facing underserved communities across the health care system. We applaud Senator Hirono, Congresswoman Lee, and Chairwoman Chu for their leadership and steadfast commitment to improving health care for all communities.” 

Adam P. Carbullido, AAPCHO’s director of policy and advocacy, added, “Like all underserved communities, Asian American, Native Hawaiians, Pacific Islanders face diverse and unique disparities affecting our health and wellbeing. HEAA is comprehensive and forward looking legislation that will deliver an equitable health care system that addresses the challenges faced by patients and providers every day. It is imperative that Congress act to secure the health care rights of every person in the U.S., including communities of color, women, LGBTQ+ individuals, immigrants, persons with disabilities, rural communities, territory residents, and socioeconomically disadvantaged communities.”

HEAA comprises ten titles focused on addressing health disparities in every sector of the health care system. Importantly, HEAA addresses longstanding legislative priorities of AAPCHO and AA and NH/PI communities, including promoting language access and cultural humility, data disaggregation, health workforce shortages, mental health, sexual and reproductive freedom, immigrant access to care, and social drivers of health. The bill also includes several provisions addressing disease disparities such as hepatitis B, diabetes, tuberculosis, obesity, and heart disease. 

Learn more about HEAA here: Final Text | One Pager | Sec-by-Sec

About AAPCHO 

AAPCHO is a national association of community health organizations dedicated to promoting advocacy, collaboration and leadership that improves the health status and access of Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders in the United States. For more information on AAPCHO, please visit www.aapcho.org

Contact

Anna Orcutt-Jahns, (608) 395-1800, aorcutt-jahns@aapcho.org

Beverly Quintana, (510) 272-9536, bquintana@aapcho.org

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