Publish Date:   January 27, 2025 Type:  Testimony and Comments, Comment Letter Topics:  Language Access, Health Care Access, Public Health, Health Disparities, Reproductive Health Ethnicity: Language:  English State: APIAHF and its national partners representing the leading health organizations, the Association of Asian Pacific Community Health Organizations (AAPCHO) , Asian Pacific Partners for Empowerment, Advocacy and Leadership (APPEAL) , the National Asian Pacific Center on Aging (NAPCA) , and the National Council of Asian Pacific Islander Physicians (NCAPIP) , focused on Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders (AANHPIs) submitted comments on January 27, 2025, regarding the CMS CY 2026 2026 Policy and Technical Changes to the Medicare Advantage Program, Medicare Prescription Drug Benefit Program, Medicare Cost Plan Program, and Programs of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly. In the comment letter, APIAHF supported the following changes: Medicare Part D coverage of anti-obesity medications and its application to the Medicaid program Network transparency for pharmacies and other changes to make pharmaceutical drugs more affordable Coverage of adult vaccines Cost-sharing for covered insulin products Transparency on Medicare plans and prior authorization of services Improvements to access of behavioral health services

Publish Date:   December 27, 2024 Type:  Testimony and Comments, Comment Letter Topics:  Language Access, Health Care Access, Public Health, Health Disparities, Reproductive Health Ethnicity: Language:  English State: APIAHF submitted comments on the Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, and Treasury’s (collectively, the Departments) proposed rules entitled “Enhancing Coverage of Preventive Services under the Affordable Care Act” to support the Departments’ proposed rules, which would expand access to coverage of preventative services, including reducing barriers to coverage of contraceptive services.   The proposed changes are especially important as many AA and NHPI women face significant cultural or language barriers to seeking formal healthcare or who may have concerns about the stigma associated with visiting a clinic or pharmacy to discuss their reproductive health and contraceptives. APIAHF urged the Departments to consider the diverse needs of racial and ethnic communities, including factors of immigration status and language proficiency, in their implementation of these rules.   Expanding access to contraceptive services, particularly over-the-counter options, without cost-sharing is a vital step toward addressing systemic barriers to healthcare for AA and NHPI women. This rule change can help reduce health disparities and empower women to retain more control over their reproductive health.

Publish Date: July 2023 Type: Report Topics: Report, CBO, Community Based Organization, Funding, Health Advocacy, Mental Health, Survey Ethnicity: Language: State: The second annual national survey explores the priorities and challenges of nearly 100 Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander serving community-based organizations post the acute phase of the COVID-19 pandemic.   Key highlights include: Top Five Emerging Health Programming Funding Gaps: People With Disabilities  LGBTQI+ Health Maternal & Child Health Addiction & Substance Abuse  Mental Health Top Five Advocacy Priorities:  Health Equity  Data Equity and Data Disaggregation Language Access Access to Health Insurance Racial Justice  Challenges to Enrolling People in Health Coverage: Language Access Systemic Complexities Funding Staffing Constraints Trust Issues

Publish Date:   August 12, 2024 Type:  Testimony and Comments, Comment Letter Topics:  Health Equity, Medical Debt Ethnicity: Language:  English State: Comment letter submitted by APIAHF to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau supporting the  the CFPB’s proposed rule, which will help tens of millions of individuals who have been unfairly burdened by medical debt on their credit reports.

An interview on Overcoming Health Disparities for Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander Communities.

Publish Date: May 29, 2024 Type: Testimony and Comments, Comment Letter Topics: Data Disaggregation, Health Care Access, Public Health, Medicare Ethnicity: Language: English State: APIAHF comment letter to the CMS requesting for improvements on the collection and usage of comprehensive race, ethnicity, language, and other demographic data on Medicare Advantage (Part C) beneficiaries and providers. Currently, Medicare Advantage data is not in compliance with OMB standards for federal race and ethnicity data.

Publish Date:   July 2024 Type:  Testimony and Comments, Comment Letter Topics:  Data Disaggregation, Health Care Access, Public Health Ethnicity: Language:  English State: Comment letter submitted by APIAHF to the Office of Minority Health supporting the development of public health vaccine and prevention campaigns involving community health workers (CHWs).

Publish Date:   July 2024 Type:  Report Topics:   Report, CBO, Community Based Organization, Funding, Health Advocacy, Mental Health, Survey Ethnicity: Language:  English State: For the third year in a row, APIAHF surveyed its network of over 250 community organizations whose work touches AANHPI communities. This annual survey serves to amplify the AANHPI voices and perspectives and to support other entities who are committed to improving public health, racial justice, and health equity. These entities include elected officials and government agencies at the local, state, and federal levels and private funders, including philanthropic organizations, socially responsible corporations, or individuals concerned about race and health equity.   Ninety CBOs responded to a survey from September 1 to October 31, 2023. The survey questions focused on five categories: Health program delivery Programs addressing social determinants of health Other programs not directly related to health Advocacy priorities Organizational capacity to advocate for and/or deliver health-related programs

Publish Date: June 2022 Type: Fact Sheet, FAQ, Infographics Topics: Alzheimer's, Brain Awareness, Dementia Ethnicity: Language: English State: Dementia is a brain condition that affects the brain’s functions to control thought, memory, and language. Alzheimer’s is the most common form of dementia, accounting for 60-80% of dementia cases.

Publish Date: August 2019 Type: Fact Sheet Topics: ACA, Community Outreach, Enrollment, Health Advocacy, Health Policy Ethnicity: Language: English State: For the first time since the passage of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), the rates of people not enrolled in health insurance have stagnated or increased. Some communities have been particularly impacted: for example, from 2016 the uninsured rate for Native Hawaiians rose from 4.7% to 5.5%, Micronesians from 11.5% to 13.1%, Burmese from 12% to 13.2%, and Cambodians from 7.4% to 8.2%.

Publish Date: May 2020 Type: Memo Topics: ACA, Language Access, Medicaid, OMB, Section 1557 Ethnicity: Language: State: Since the passage of the Affordable Care Act in 2010, Section 1557, known as the Health Care Rights Law, has offered critical protections in civil rights and health care for several protected groups. In promulgating the Final Rule in 2016, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office for Civil Rights (HHS OCR) went through an extensive Request for Information, issued a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, and later the Final Rule in 2016. Since then, covered entities have come into compliance with the many protections required by Section 1557, including protections for limited English proficient persons (LEP). On May 24, 2019, HHS OCR and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services proposed substantial revisions to the Health Care Rights Law that would roll-back civil rights protections for transgender persons, abortion access, and language access.

Publish Date: May 2021 Type: Topics: Data Disaggregation, Health disparities, Health Equity, race & ethnicity, Robert Woods Johnson Foundation, state resource Ethnicity: Language: State: Sometimes, being seen becomes a matter of life and death. It can determine whether we are able to live a life of well-being and enjoy access to health, educational, and economic opportunities. Being visible is especially important in decisions that guide federal, state, and local policies, funding, and institutional practices and programs. Fully understanding challenges and clearly defining opportunities requires access to information that reflects everyone. As our nation becomes increasingly diverse in terms of race and ethnicity, advancing health equity requires an understanding of how health and health disparities are experienced across distinct racial and ethnic populations and indigenous peoples. But when we look to existing data for answers, we rarely find this information. It is either not collected at all, or the existing information on race and ethnicity is lumped into broad categories that do not allow distinct groups to be seen. These flaws in data collection and reporting render populations invisible, mask unique needs, and hide strengths and assets. It means that decisions are being made that impact people’s lives and well-being without complete information. It’s time to get the full picture. This guide is written for community leaders and advocates who want to advance health equity by calling for changes in the way data are collected, analyzed, and reported. It supports efforts to make the unique health needs and disparities faced by racial and ethnic populations visible. The project was funded by the Robert Woods Johnson Foundation and was created in partnership with the Arab Community Center for Economic and Social Services (ACCESS), the Asian & Pacific Islander American Health Forum, the National Congress of American Indians (NCAI), the National Urban League, and UnidosUS.