Rep. Robin Kelly Introduces Health Equity and Accountability Act

Congresswoman Robin Kelly
Congresswoman Robin Kelly

Rep. Robin Kelly Introduces Health Equity and Accountability Act

WASHINGTON, D.C. – On Tuesday, April 26, Congresswoman
Robin Kelly (IL-02), Chair of the Congressional Black Caucus Health Braintrust, introduced the Health Equity and Accountability Act (HEAA). HEAA is a comprehensive and strategic legislative roadmap that aims to eliminate racial and ethnic health inequities. This is the only legislation that directly addresses the intersection of health inequities with race and ethnicity, as well as immigration status, age, disability, sex, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, language, and socio-economic status.

“The Health Equity and Accountability Act will reduce racial and ethnic health inequities, address the maternal mortality crisis, strengthen health data collection & research, expand access to mental health care, target gun violence, improve language access in health care, diversify our health care workforce, and so much more,” said Congresswoman Kelly. “I am proud to lead this legislation on behalf of the Congressional Tri-Caucus to improve healthcare access and services for every single American.”

Since 2003, HEAA has been introduced by the Congressional
Tri-Caucus, comprised of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus (CAPAC), the Congressional Black
Caucus (CBC), and the Congressional Hispanic Caucus
(CHC). Rep. Kelly is leading the legislation this year in her
capacity as CBC Health Braintrust Chair.

The bill focuses on 10 main topics: data collection and
reporting; culturally and linguistically appropriate health and
health care; health workforce diversity; improving health care
access and quality; improving health outcomes for women,
children, and families; mental health and substance use
disorders; addressing high impact minority diseases; health
information technology; accountability and evaluation; and
addressing social determinants and improving environmental
justice.

“As Co-Chair of the Health Task Force of the Congressional
Asian Pacific American Caucus (CAPAC) and a
member of the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) Health
Task Force, I’m proud to join Rep. Kelly in the reintroduction
of the Health Equity and Accountability Act,” said Congresswoman Barbara Lee (D-CA). “HEAA is a bold, comprehensive vision for addressing persistent ethnic and racial health disparities to improve health outcomes for communities
of color. Health care inequities have always existed, but
COVID-19 has laid bare just how deadly they can be. This
is the moment to enact HEAA to systemically improve care
to ensure that all Americans – no matter their race, ethnicity,
gender identity, sexual orientation, age, or language background
– can stay healthy.”

“The COVID-19 pandemic brought the troubling
persistent racial disparities in our healthcare system to light.
Our policies are grossly out of step with science and the
overwhelming consensus from the medical community,” said
Dr. Gary A. Puckrein, president and CEO of the National Minority
Quality Forum. “Achieving health equity is critical for this country. The Health Equity and Accountability Act can provide the tools needed to ensure that healthcare disparities are eliminated as health inequities are prioritized.”

“The National Urban League is proud to work with and
support Representative Robin Kelly and the Congressional
Black Caucus in the introduction of the Health Equity and
Accountability Act of 2022 (HEAA),” said Marc H. Morial,
President and CEO of the National Urban League. “As
our COVID-19 needs assessment report underscored, the
pandemic has exposed and exacerbated the racial health
equity gaps of this nation. This legislation addresses these
gaps directly, including maternal mortality for Black women,
mental health challenges for our youth, gun violence in our
communities, and access to broadband internet and devices
in our homes, and other social determinants of health in our
society. HEAA would help us chart a path towards a new
normal of health equity for all.”

HEAA is endorsed by more than 60 stakeholder groups
representing a wide variety of health industry partners, patient
advocates and diverse communities.

“Since the beginning stages of this legislation, the
NAACP has been working closely with Congress to develop
this bill which aims to eliminate racial health inequities that
have impacted far too long the quality and quantity of life for
many African Americans,” said Portia White, NAACP Vice
President, Policy & Legislative Affairs. “The HEAA seeks to
directly address the intersection of health inequities with race
and other socioeconomic factors impacting individual and
population health.”

“The Health Equity and Accountability Act is an important
step to ensuring that our healthcare system works for
all older adults, regardless of age, race, immigration status,
primary language or other characteristic, and is free of inequities
that disproportionately impact older adults of color,” said
Denny Chan, Directing Attorney, Equity Advocacy, Justice in
Aging.

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