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Asian & Pacific Islander American Health Forum

Home Press Room Press Releases APIAHF Statement on the President's FY2013 Budget

APIAHF Statement on the President's FY2013 Budget

For Immediate Release
February 15, 2012

Washington, D.C. – On Monday, February 13th, President Obama released his budget proposal for Fiscal Year 2013, which aims to reduce the national deficit and put the country on a path toward fiscal sustainability.

The budget includes targeted investments designed to fully implement the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and address the disproportionate effect HIV/AIDS has on communities of color. While we appreciate the President’s efforts to combat health and health care disparities within Asian American, Native Hawaiian, Pacific Islander and other vulnerable communities, we are concerned to see a number of spending reductions and freezes to critical health-related programs.

“The President’s Budget for Fiscal Year 2013 demonstrates his commitment to reducing our nation’s deficit and ensuring that our economy works for individuals and businesses at all income levels,” said Kathy Lim Ko, APIAHF president and CEO. “The investment of nearly $1 billion to implement the Affordable Care Act is a step in the right direction. We will continue to work with Congress as they determine their budget priorities to ensure that safety-net programs essential to keeping our most vulnerable communities out of poverty are strengthened.”

APIAHF will focus on protecting programs serving low-income, immigrant and racial and ethnic minorities, including:

  1. Key components of the Affordable Care Act
  2. Medicaid
  3. Implementation of new federal data collection standards
  4. Prevention and Public Health Fund
  5. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of Civil Rights
  6. HIV/AIDS prevention and treatment activities, including implementation of the National HIV/AIDS Strategy
  7. Immigrant integration programs

Additionally, we will strategically engage Congress and the Administration to address funding shortfalls for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Minority Health and programs important to Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander communities at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The Asian & Pacific Islander American Health Forum influences policy, mobilizes communities, and strengthens programs and organizations to improve the health of Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders.