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[Pages S6331-S6332]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
STATEMENTS ON INTRODUCED BILLS AND JOINT RESOLUTIONS
By Ms. HIRONO (for herself, Mrs. Gillibrand, Mr. Merkley, Ms.
Duckworth, Mr. Blumenthal, Mr. Sanders, Mr. Booker, Mr. Cardin,
and Mr. Kaine):
S. 4819. A bill to improve the health of minority individuals, and
for other purposes; to the Committee on Finance.
Ms. HIRONO. Mr. President, there is no shortage of examples showing
how our Nation systemically fails communities of color and other
minorities, but the events of 2020--namely COVID-19 and the killings of
Black Americans--have brought heightened attention and urgency to
addressing inequities and disparities throughout our nation.
Tragically, these inequities and disparities pervade our health care
system, resulting in poor health outcomes and barriers to care for far
too many communities.
Mr. President, I believe that healthcare is a right--not a
privilege--and that this right should extend to everyone in our Nation.
Yet, this is not the case. Our Nation falls short in ensuring that
right to everyone regardless of race, ethnicity, gender, sexual
orientation, socioeconomic status, immigration status, or any other
factor, which is why I am reintroducing the Health Equity and
Accountability Act (HEAA). This bill is a comprehensive blueprint of
bold policy solutions that address a wide spectrum of health equity
concerns.
Despite progress made through the Affordable Care Act, health care
access remains a problem in the U.S., with minority communities
disproportionately facing barriers to coverage. HEAA expands access to
health care for many communities in need including immigrant
communities, rural communities, and of particular importance to my
state, citizens of the Freely Associated States who are living in our
country under the Compacts of Free Association.
We know that diversity in our health care workforce can improve
health outcomes, and yet racial and ethnic minorities remain
underrepresented in our health professions. HEAA seeks to address the
lack of diversity in our health workforce through loan repayment
programs and health professions fellowships. The bill would also help
providers better serve a diverse patient population with culturally and
linguistically appropriate health care services through investments
like cultural competency education and expanded language access
services to assist the over 12 percent of Hawaii residents and about 8
percent of people nationwide with limited English proficiency.
Women, children, and adolescents often face additional barriers and
disparities in accessing information, health education, health
services, and coverage. HEAA aims to dismantle those barriers and
address a range of infant, maternal, sexual, and reproductive health
needs, particularly for
[[Page S6332]]
marginalized and underserved communities. For example, HEAA would
invest in sexual health education for underserved, minority, and LGBTQ
youth and link them to services related to positive health behaviors.
The bill also seeks to address our country's tragically high maternal
mortality rate, particularly for Black women, who have a maternal
mortality rate three to five times that of White women. HEAA would
expand services to pregnant and postpartum women, develop maternal
health initiatives in rural areas, and establish a program to address
implicit biases and cultural competency in providers.
HEAA doesn't stop there. The legislation would also expand and
promote mental and behavioral health services for minority communities,
increase Federal resources for diseases that disproportionately affect
minorities--such as heart disease and diabetes in Native Hawaiians--and
improve data collection and reporting so we can more completely
recognize and address health disparities. In Hawaii, these investments
through HEAA will help combat diseases like viral hepatitis, which
disproportionately affects Asian Americans, Native Hawaiian, and
Pacific Islander communities, and better understand the health
disparities faced by Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific
Islanders through disaggregated data collection.
Finally, HEAA addresses the ``social determinants of health''--non-
medical factors like the environment, housing, education, and economic
stability that ultimately affect individual and community health. HEAA
would require non-health federal agencies like Department of Housing
and Urban Development, Department of Transportation, Department of
Agriculture, and Environmental Protection Agency to work together to
improve the social determinants of health.
Achieving health equity is achievable and to do it we must make bold,
substantial investments in transforming our health and health care
systems. I thank my colleagues for joining me in introducing the bill,
and encourage others to join us as we work to level the playing field
and empower everyone in our nation to achieve their full health
potential.
____________________
