House Bill Proposes Health Equity for All

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 15, 2016

CONTACT
Juan Gastelum, 213-375-3149, [email protected]

NILC: House Bill Proposes Health Equity for All

WASHINGTON — Congressional health care champions Reps. Robin Kelly (D-IL), Michelle Lujan Grisham (D-NM), Barbara Lee (D-CA), G.K. Butterfield (D-NC), Linda Sanchez (D-CA), and Judy Chu (D-CA) today introduced the Health Equity and Accountability Act of 2016 (HEAA), a comprehensive and strategic plan to eliminate racial and ethnic health disparities and improve the health of communities of color.

The sponsors are leaders of the Congressional Black Caucus, the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus, and the Congressional Hispanic Caucus.

The measure would build on the Affordable Care Act (ACA) by ensuring that everyone living in the U.S. has access to affordable health coverage. In addition to making improvements intended to help underserved communities, such as through increased language services, HEAA calls for the elimination of barriers that prevent many immigrants from accessing federal health care and nutrition assistance programs.

Marielena Hincapié, executive director of the National Immigration Law Center (NILC), issued the following statement upon the introduction of the legislation:

“The Affordable Care Act has extended health care access to millions of previously uninsured individuals, but for many the promise of quality, affordable health care remains unrealized.

“As advocates for low-income immigrant families, NILC applauds the HEAA sponsors for championing measures to increase underserved communities’ access to affordable health care, through ACA, Medicaid, and the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP). An individual’s place of birth, community, or income level should not determine access to affordable health care.

“We stand ready to work with members of Congress to turn these goals into reality.”

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