July 14, 2009
The Honorable George Miller The Honorable Charles Rangel
Chairman Chairman
Committee on Education and Labor Committee on Ways and Means
U.S. House of Representatives U.S. House of Representatives
Washington, DC 20515 Washington, DC 20515
The Honorable Henry A. Waxman
Chairman
Committee on Energy and Commerce
U.S. House of Representatives
Washington, DC 20515
Dear Chairmen Miller, Rangel, and Waxman:
We are writing in support of the Health Equity and Accountability Act of 2009 and its
inclusion in the final health reform legislation. As you and your colleagues continue to
work on health reform legislation, the undersigned coalitions, groups, and organizations
urge you to strengthen the commitment to addressing health inequities and make certain
that health and health care disparities reduction and elimination is prioritized.
Health disparities, which exist along the lines not only of race and ethnicity, but also
gender, gender identity, disability, geography, sexual orientation, national origin, and
socioeconomics, have a direct and detrimental impact on the health care, health
outcomes, and thus, well-being of millions of people in our country. We envision health
reform legislation that ensures equity and accountability. The Health Equity and
Accountability Act of 2009 provides the best opportunity for individuals affected by
health disparities to access comprehensive as well as culturally and linguistically
appropriate health care and public health services, and to achieve positive health
outcomes.
Comprehensive health reform is essential to improving health across the lifespan of
populations and communities that suffer from health disparities and barriers to health care
and public health services. Therefore, we urge you to include the Health Equity and
Accountability Act of 2009 in health reform legislation.
We would like to take this opportunity to thank you for your leadership and commitment
to eliminating health disparities. We look forward to working with you to secure passage
of health reform legislation that includes the Health Equity and Accountability Act of
2009 to ensure that all populations affected by health and health care disparities have
access to quality health care and experience optimal health.
We would also like to thank you for your thoughtful consideration of this request and
offer our assistance in addressing this critical issue. Please contact Daniel E. Dawes, J.D.,
at (202) 682-5110 or [email protected], if you would like any additional information.
Sincerely,
Adventist HealthCare
Advocates for Youth
Aetna
AIDS Action Council
American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
American Academy of Physician Assistants
American Association for Health Education
American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy
American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy
American Association of Pastoral Counselors
American Association on Health and Disability
American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network
American College of Sports Medicine
American Counseling Association
American Diabetes Association
American Group Psychotherapy Association
American Heart Association/American Stroke Association
American Medical Student Association
American Nurses Association
American Occupational Therapy Association
American Psychiatric Association
American Psychological Association
American Psychotherapy Association
American Public Health Association
American Social Health Association
Amputee Coalition of America
Anxiety Disorders Association of America
Asian & Pacific Islander American Health Forum
Asian & Pacific Islander Wellness Center
Asian American Justice Center
Association for Ambulatory Behavioral Healthcare
Association of Asian Pacific Community Health Organizations
Association of Clinicians for the Underserved (ACU)
Association of Nurses in AIDS Care
Association of Professional Chaplains
Association of Public Health Laboratories
Association of University Centers on Disabilities (AUCD)
Autism Society of America
Bazelon Center for Mental Health Law
Beckett Family Consulting
Brain Injury Association of America
CAEAR Coalition
CAEAR Foundation
California Black Health Network
California Center for Public Health Advocacy (CCPHA)
California Immigrant Policy Center
California Immigrant Policy Center
California Pan-Ethnic Health Network
California Partnership California Primary Care Association
Campaign for Mental Health Reform
CANN – Community Access National Network
C-Change
Center for Advancing Health
Center for Clinical Social Work/ABE
Center for Integrated Behavioral Health Policy
CHADD ? Children and Adults with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder
Child Welfare League of America
Clinical Social Work Association
Colorado Progressive Coalition
Community Catalyst
Community Health Councils
Community HIV/AIDS Mobilization Project, CHAMP
Council of Schools and Programs of Professional Psychology (NCSPP)
Summit Health Institute for Research and Education
Asian Pacific Islander Caucus in official relations with APHA
Council on Social Work Education
Defeat Diabetes Foundation
External Partners Group of the National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities
Families USA
Family Equality Council
Foundation for Mental Health
Having Our Say
Health Care for America Now (HCAN)
Hepatitis B Foundation
Hepatitis Foundation International
HIV Medicine Association
HIVictorious, Inc.
Howard University Hospital Center for Wellness and Weight Loss Surgery
Idaho Community Action Network
Institute for the Advancement of Social Work Research
ISAIAH (MN)
Japanese American Citizens League (JACL)
Ke Ali`i Maka`ainana Hawaiian Civic Club
Kellogg Health Scholars Program
Khmer Health Advocates
Korean Resource Center
La Fe Policy Research and Education Center
Latino Agenda for Healthcare Reform
Latino Caucus in official relations with the APHA
Latinos for National Heath Insurance
League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC)
Maine People's Alliance
Make the Road New York
Massachusetts Immigrant & Refugee Advocacy Coalition
Mental Health America
Michigan Positive Action Coalition (MI-POZ)
Montanans for Health Care MSEA/SEIU 1989 Change that Works
NAACP
NAMI
National Alliance for Thrombosis and Thrombophilia
National Alliance of State and Territorial AIDS Directors
National Asian American Pacific Islander Mental Health Association
National Asian Pacific American Families Against Substance Abuse
National Asian Pacific American Women's Forum
National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Eating Disorders
National Association of Chronic Disease Directors Health Equity Council
National Association of County Behavioral Health and Developmental Disability Directors
National Association of People With AIDS (NAPWA)
National Association of Public Hospitals and Health Systems
National Association of Social Workers
National Black Gay Men's Advocacy Coalition
National Cambodian American Health Initiative
National Coalition of STD Directors (NCSD)
National Council of Jewish Women
National Council of La Raza (NCLR)
National Council of Urban Indian Health
National Dental Association
National Federation of Families for Children?s Mental Health
National Foundation for Mental Health
National Health Equity Coalition
National Health Law Program
National Hispanic Medical Association
National Immigration Law Center
National Indian Project Center
National Kidney Foundation
National Latina Institute for Reproductive Health (NLIRH)
National Latino Behavioral Health Association (NLBHA)
National LGBT Health Coalition
National Minority AIDS Council
National Puerto Rican Coalition Inc.
National REACH Coalition
National WIC Association
National Women?s Law Center
National Women's Health Network
Native Research Network, Inc
New Age Services Corporation
New Hampshire Health Care for America Now Coalition
New York Immigration Coalition
New York Immigration Coalition
New York Lawyers for the Public Interest
Northeast Action
Northwest Federation of Community Organizations
Novo Nordisk
Ocean State Action
Oregon Action Out of Many, One Coalition
Papa Ola Lokahi
Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays (PFLAG) National
Project Inform
Psychologists in Indian Country
Raising Women's Voices for the Health Care We Need
Researchers against Inactivity-related Disorders (RID)
Society for Public Health Education (SOPHE)
South Dakotans for Health Care Solutions
Southeast Asia Resource Action Center (SEARAC)
Special Olympics
Take Action Minnesota
Tennants and Workers United (VA)
The AIDS Institute
The Brooklyn Task Force on Infant and Maternal Mortality and Family Health
The Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance (DBSA)
The Disparities Solutions Center at Massachusetts General Hospital
Thresholds
Trust for America?s Health
Washington Community Action Network
WE ACT for Environmental Justice
Joined by: Consumers Union
CC: President of the United States Barack Obama
Speaker Nancy Pelosi
Majority Leader Steny Hoyer
Majority Whip James Clyburn
House Energy and Commerce Committee
House Energy and Commerce Committee, Subcommittee on Health
House Ways and Means Committee
House Ways and Means Committee, Subcommittee on Health
House Education and Labor Committee
Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus
Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus Health Taskforce
Congressional Black Caucus
Congressional Black Caucus Health Braintrust
Congressional Hispanic Caucus
Congressional Hispanic Caucus Health and the Environment Taskfor
