WASHINGTON, April 7, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, a
coalition of 33 progressive, civil rights, and multicultural
organizations sent a letter to
Congress and the Biden administration outlining new guidelines to
elevate health equity.
The effort was organized by the Health Equity Collaborative
(HEC) and brought together a diverse coalition, including the
National Consumers League, Easterseals, National Hispanic Medical
Association and Black Women's Health Imperative.
"Improving the health of America's underserved communities
demands that lawmakers address the root causes of inequality," said
Amy Hinojosa of the MANA Action
Fund, a national Latina advocacy organization that builds
multicultural, collaborative networks to advance equity. "We look
forward to engaging with lawmakers to find strategic solutions to
decades of systemic disparities. Progress is being made, but our
work is just beginning in earnest."
The letter prioritizes a range of guidelines to effectuate
long-lasting change. They include:
- Expanding healthcare coverage by strengthening the Affordable
Care Act's marketplaces and creating additional opportunities to
enroll.
- Bolstering funding for the federal Supplemental Nutrition
Assistance Program (SNAP) and requiring the USDA and HHS to adapt
the "one-size-fits-all" Dietary Guidelines for Americans, which
disregard the needs of different populations.
- Recognizing that cost-effectiveness metrics, including
Quality-Adjusted Life Years, are inherently discriminatory and
contribute to racial health disparities.
- Reforming the drug-supply chain and introducing government
oversight to ensure that Pharmacy Benefit Managers (PBMs) share
savings directly with patients.
- Redirecting resources from failed policing and mass
incarceration systems toward mental health care that helps address
the lasting harm caused by racially-charged violence and
discrimination.
"The guidelines we put forth address systemic issues that have
long plagued vulnerable American families," said Jason Resendez, head of the
LatinosAgainstAlzheimer's Coalition of UsAgainstAlzheimer's. "As
the pandemic laid bare, inaction on health inequities can be
fatal."
"The moment calls for a sustained commitment from lawmakers,"
said Tammy Boyd, Chief Policy
Officer & Senior Counsel of the Black Women's Health
Imperative. "By embracing these guidelines, lawmakers can stand
with us in the fight for health equity -- and help ensure
better outcomes for future generations."
About the Health Equity Collaborative:
The Health Equity Collaborative is a national coalition of
organizations that fights for underserved and underrepresented
communities in the healthcare sphere. The Collaborative promotes
health equity, diversity, and inclusion through an intersectional,
holistic approach and fights for social justice and representation
in the policymaking process.
To learn more:
visit www.healthequitycollaborative.org
MEDIA CONTACT
Kirby
Eule
306952@email4pr.com
202-471-4228 ext. 126
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SOURCE Health Equity Collaborative