Summary
The HEAA of 2012 focuses on ensuring that a full range of culturally and linguistically appropriate health care and public health services are available and accessible in every community, creates additional pipeline and training opportunities for minority-serving professional and allied health care workers, and incorporates strategies such as community-based prevention efforts to address a range of disease-specific, mental and behavioral health issues facing minority communities. It also further eliminates existing access barriers to affordable health insurance coverage, promote investments in innovative health care delivery methods and technologies, strengthen evidence-based and community-driven prevention and public health strategies, and advance research and data collection about the health needs and outcomes of our communities.
Status
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
Our Position: Support
The Health Equity and Accountability Act recognizes that additional steps must be taken to specifically address health care disparities and provides additional tools necessary to address and eliminate health and health care disparities experienced by minority and underserved communities. It is an important move towards creating a sustainable health care system that can pave the road to health equity.