Source: Coalition on Human Needs
To sign on to a letter supporting the Health Equity and Accountability Act, H.R. 3014, contact jedwards@nclr.org
Immigrants and communities of color continue to face inferior access to health care, lower quality medical treatment, and poorer health outcomes than their citizen and white counterparts. These disparities especially hurt minority children, seniors, persons with disabilities, and workers who are uninsured and underinsured. It’s time to ask every Member of Congress to address these disparities and create greater equity in the American health care system.
The only bill pending in Congress to comprehensively address health disparities in the U.S. is H.R. 3014, the Health Equity and Accountability Act. With many important provisions addressing gaps in health care, this bill also addresses major barriers faced by immigrants. H.R. 3014 includes the Immigrant Children’s Health Improvement Act (ICHIA), to provide states with an option to cover lawfully residing immigrant children and pregnant women with federal Medicaid and the State Children’s Health Insurance Program funds without any five-year waiting period. The bill also includes provisions that will enhance language access to health care, minority community health care outreach, and health care workforce diversity. A summary of the legislation can be read here.
H.R. 3014, supported jointly by the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, Congressional Black Caucus, and Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus (the “tri-caucus”), has over 100 cosponsors; see that list here. If your representative is not already a sponsor, please contact your Member of Congress and say you believe every Member needs to endorse this legislative proposal to effectively improve minority health in our country. If your Member is already a co-sponsor, please thank him or her.
Last month, over 100 national organizations signed a letter endorsing H.R. 3014 and sent it to House leadership. Yet the bill still has not yet been considered for a hearing in committees of jurisdiction. We need to broaden the voice telling Congress we strongly support the legislation and asking Congress to begin addressing health disparities. All national, state, and local organizations that support passage of H.R. 3014 can now endorse the letter to Congress that we are sending to you today.
The deadline for endorsements is April 18. To sign your organization’s name to the letter, please send the following information to Jennifer Edwards of the National Council of La Raza, at jedwards@nclr.org
Name:
Position:
Organization:
City, State:
Type of Organization (state, local, or national):
E-mail:
Thank you so much!
Filed under: civic engagement, community issues
