Bill to Reduce Racial and Ethnic Health Disparities Introduced Today in the House

Washington, D.C. – Legislation aimed at reducing racial and ethnic health disparities was introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives today by Rep. Robin Kelly (D-IL), chair of the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) Health Braintrust, and with the support of the Congressional Tri-Caucus – a group made up of the CBC, the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, and the Asian Pacific American Caucus. The bill – the Health Equity and Accountability Act of 2016 – provides a comprehensive approach to addressing the multiple barriers communities of color face in achieving good health, including measures to improve access to culturally and linguistically appropriate care; make health insurance available to all who reside in the United States; strengthen data collection to enable the identification and tracking of disparities; develop specific strategies to tackle high minority impact conditions, and increase the diversity of the healthcare workforce. Following is the statement of Sinsi Hernández-Cancio, health equity director of Families USA, on the bill’s introduction:

“For our nation’s healthcare system to be truly just and support a vibrant, productive future for our increasingly diverse country, it must ensure equitable access. No one should be left behind because of their race, national origin, income, the language they speak, or immigration status. Passage of the Health Equity and Accountability Act should become a national priority and ensuring access to high quality care for all must be central to the public debate during this election season.”