Tuesday, Congresswoman Robin Kelly (D-IL) introduced the Health Equity and Accountability Act (HEAA), which aims to eliminate racial and ethnic health inequalities and expand coverage.
First introduced in 2003, the bill has the support of more than 60 stakeholder groups, including NAACPand leaders of advocacy groups representing a variety of issues, from population aging to health issues affecting Southeast Asian communities, immigrant health, black maternal health, and more.
“The Health Equity and Accountability Act will reduce racial and ethnic health inequalities, address the maternal mortality crisis, strengthen health data collection and research, expand access to mental health care, combat gun violence, and improve language use in health care , diversifying our healthcare workforce, and more,” Congresswoman Kelly said in a statement Press Releases“I am proud to lead this legislation on behalf of the Congressional Triple Caucus to improve healthcare access and services for every American.”
HEAA builds on the results achieved under the Affordable Care Act and sets out a vision that Congress should make additional investments to enhance the health and well-being of systemically marginalized and underserved communities. The legislation has the support of more than 300 racial equity and health equity organizations, researchers, provider groups, and community-based organizations.
this Chronic Disease Health Equity Coalition (HECCD) is one of them. In a letter to congressional leaders, the coalition said, “This bill provides an overarching blueprint for moving toward a fairer health care system.”
The coalition specifically praised the bill’s three principles, including expanding health care coverage by removing barriers to citizenship, focusing on solutions for multiple chronic diseases such as diabetes, lung disease, HIV, sickle cell disease and obesity, and increasing The amount of healthcare comes from professionals in communities of color.
“HEEA represents a meaningful commitment from our leaders on Capitol Hill to address the systemic problems that perpetuate negative health outcomes for people of color across the country. For example, an omnibus bill would target the social determinants of health that are continue to put communities of color at high risk for chronic diseases such as diabetes, high blood pressure and obesity,” said the coalition’s co-chairs Tammy Boyd, Dr. Elena Rios, and Gary A. Puckrein, Ph.D., in a statement.
The group said in an article Press Releases Passage of the bill would be “a historic step forward for marginalized Americans.”
Since 2003, HEAA has been introduced by the Congressional Tri-Caucus consisting of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus, the Congressional Black Caucus, and the Congressional Hispanic Caucus. Rep. Kelly led the legislation this year as chairman of the CBC Health think tank.
Some proponents of the legislation point to how Covid-19 has exposed racial disparities in health care.
“As our Covid-19 needs assessment report highlights, the pandemic has exposed and exacerbated racial health equity disparities in this country,” said Marc H. Morial, president and CEO of the organization National Urban League in a press release. “This legislation directly addresses these disparities, including the maternal mortality rate for black women, the mental health challenges of our youth, gun violence in our communities, the use of broadband internet and devices in our homes, and other healthy social decisions in our society factor.”
Photo: Peter Pencil, Getty Images
