Congresswoman Robin Kelly to Introduce the Health Equity and Accountability Act

“Today, I am proud to stand with Congresswoman Kelly, Chair of the Congressional Black Caucus Health Braintrust, and others as we introduce the Health Equity and Accountability Act of 2022. This bill would help eliminate longstanding racial and ethnic health inequities that communities of color have suffered from for generations and have since been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Since 2007, the Tri-caucus, comprised of the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC), the Congressional Hispanic Caucus (CHC), and the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus (CAPAC), has introduced HEAA each Congress to directly address health inequities as they intersect with race, ethnicity, and socio-economic status. As the world has continued to grapple with the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, we must chart a path forward that improves the quality of life for all Americans.

“HEAA builds upon provisions from the Affordable Care Act and suggests additional improvements Congress should make to enhance the well-being of systemically marginalized and underserved communities, address health disparities, and ensure access to high quality and affordable health care for all. Specifically, this bill will address the following:

• Reduction of racial health disparities, including infant and maternal mortality rates.
• Expansion of mental and behavioral services targeting low-income, communities of color.
• Increase diversity among healthcare workers with grants to HBCUs and other MSIs, among other federal investments.
• Improve health care access and quality for all, including undocumented children and families.
• Strengthen health data collection to inform policies that eradicate racial health disparities.
• Enhance language access and culturally competent care for limited English proficient (LEP) immigrants.
• Address social determinants of health to mitigate the effects of systemic poverty and discrimination.“We are grateful for the efforts of Congresswoman Kelly, CAPAC, CBC, and the CHC for ensuring all Americans have access to affordable and equitable healthcare. We urge all members of Congress to support this critical piece of legislation.”

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