Kaine Cosponsors Legislation to Advance Health Equity

WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senator Tim Kaine (D-VA) cosponsored the Health Equity and Accountability Act (HEAA), comprehensive legislation led by Reverend Raphael Warnock (D-GA) and Cory Booker (D-NJ) to help eliminate racial and ethnic health inequities. Building on the gains made under the Affordable Care Act, the HEAA lays out additional investments Congress must make to enhance the health and well-being of systematically marginalized and underserved communities, address health disparities, and ensure access to high quality and affordable health care for all.

“Our nation’s health care systems are rooted with deep inequities, which have only been exacerbated by the pandemic,” said Senator Kaine. “We must do more to ensure all people, regardless of their race, ethnicity, or zip code, have access to quality, affordable health care. I’m proud to introduce this legislation to address health disparities and expand health care access.”

The HEAA would:

• Strengthen data collection for historically underrepresented populations to effectively evaluate health disparities and inform health equity policies;
• Ensure culturally and linguistically appropriate health and health care to reduce disparities in health for non-English speakers;
• Improve health workforce diversity to ensure providers are representative of the patients that they serve;
• Address systemic barriers to quality care for vulnerable populations by expanding coverage, improving access to health care facilities, innovating in care delivery, and creating health empowerment zones to allow communities to receive federal funding to address health disparities;
• Address poor health outcomes for underserved women, children, and families through expanded access and coverage and increased resources and tools;
• Improve the availability, accessibility, and quality of mental health services through increased funding and development to combat inequities;
• Expand research, screening, treatments, and coverage for diseases that disproportionately impact minority communities;
• Promote, strengthen, and invest in the Health IT infrastructure to multiply its impact on racial and ethnic minority communities;
• Affirm the federal government’s responsibility to prevent health care services discrimination and strengthen accountability through transparency and enforcement actions; and
• Define social determinants of health, or conditions that influence health outcomes, and introduce assessments and programs to remediate the factors influencing the unequal distribution of health inequities.

As a member of the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee, Kaine has long prioritized addressing health care disparities. Kaine has introduced a bipartisan bill to reduce racial inequities in maternal and infant mortality. In February 2021, Kaine joined Booker in introducing the Black Maternal Health Momnibus Act, which would address racial and ethnic disparities in maternal health outcomes.

Over 300 racial and health equity organizations, researchers, provider groups, and community-based organizations have contributed to the development of the HEAA.

The HEAA is cosponsored by Senators Sherrod Brown (D-OH), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Ben Cardin (D-MD), Mazie Hirono (D-HI), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), and Bernie Sanders (I-VT). Companion legislation was introduced in the House of Representatives by Representative Robin Kelly (D-IL-02).

Full text of the legislation can be found here.

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