Join the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America (AAFA) in support of the Health Equity and Accountability Act of 2022 (HEAA or H.R. 7585). HEAA is bill aimed at removing racial and ethnic health disparities in the United States.
What Is a Disparity?
If a health condition, like asthma, affects one group of people differently than another group, there is a “health disparity.” Health disparities exist based on factors such as race, ethnicity, age, sex, geography, disability, and citizenship status. People at the greatest risk for poor health outcomes:
- Low-income groups
- Women
- LGBTQIA2S+
- Children
- Older adults
- People in rural and tribal areas
- People in inner cities
- Black, Hispanic, Indigenous, Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander
People and their families may belong to one or more of these groups.
The Congressional Tri-Caucus has introduced HEAA in every congress since 2003. The time to act is now. The Tri-Caucus includes the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus (CAPAC), the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC), and the Congressional Hispanic Caucus (CHC).
The bill has 10 sections. It lays out a roadmap to improve health outcomes for systemically marginalized and underserved communities:
- Data collection and reporting
- Culturally 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 disease
- Health information technology
- Accountability and evaluation
- Addressing economic and social conditions and improving environmental justice
HEAA aligns with many of AAFA’s strategies to address racial and ethnic asthma disparities. They are listed in our Asthma Disparities in America Report. The report aims to improve research, prevention, treatment, and access to care to save lives and promote health equity.
HEAA includes asthma as a disease that has a high impact on minority groups. It lays out specific actions for the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to reduce asthma disparities. These actions include:
- The development of state asthma plans
- Increased asthma education on prevention and management
- Improved asthma surveillance and data collection
- Reporting on additional steps needed to reduce the disproportionate burden of asthma
You can help by asking your legislators to support the Health Equity and Accountability Act. Use our tool below to send an email to your representative. You can also choose to post your message on Twitter or call your representative’s office. Just follow the steps below:
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