Publish Date:   April 2025 Type:   Testimony and Comments Topics:  Health Advocacy, Health Equity, Health Disparities, Health Access, Language Access Ethnicity: Language:   State: APIAHF President & CEO Juliet K. Choi’s Outside Witness Testimony to the U.S. House Appropriations Committee, Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education, and Related Agencies for FY2026 Appropriations for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

Publish Date:   March 2025 Type:   Report Topics:  Medicaid, Budget, Health Care, Health Access Ethnicity: Language:   State: A coalition of leading health and civil rights organizations — including the Asian & Pacific Islander American Health Forum (APIAHF), the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights , NAACP , the National Council of Negro Women , the National Urban League , the Southern Poverty Law Center , UnidosUS , the Coalition on Human Needs , Families USA , the National Health Law Program , and Protect Our Care – published a report on the disproportionate harm Medicaid cuts would have on communities of color. Read the full report here:

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%.