May 6, 2009
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20500
Dear President Obama:
As you and your colleagues continue to work on health reform legislation, the undersigned coalitions, groups, and organizations urge you to ensure the legislation addresses health inequities and makes certain that health and health care disparities reduction and elimination is prioritized. We envision health reform legislation that ensures equity and accountability, and provides individuals with the ability to access comprehensive and culturally and linguistically appropriate health care and public health services and achieve health outcomes consistent with the rest of the population.
Striking disparities in health status exist among various communities and populations throughout the United States, which include shorter life expectancy and higher rates of chronic health conditions and disability. According to the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), disparities are also observed in most aspects of disease prevention and treatment, including care for mental health disorders and substance use, HIV/AIDS, cancer, diabetes, heart disease, stroke, oral health conditions, maternal and child health, respiratory disease, and end stage renal disease.
Health reform legislation provides a unique opportunity for addressing critical disparities and achieving many of the health equity recommendations from the Institute of Medicine’s (IOM) Unequal Treatment report and Healthy People 2010. These
recommendations will reduce health disparities not only along lines of race and ethnicity, but also along lines of gender and geography and among other populations affected by health inequities.
Comprehensive health reform is essential to improving the health of populations and communities that have traditionally suffered health disparities and barriers to health care and public health services. We urge your support for including health equity provisions in health reform legislation.
We would 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 ddawes@apa.org, if you would like any additional information.
Sincerely,