APIAHF and its national, state and local partners submitted comments to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) in support of updating the agency’s standards for maintaining, collecting and presenting federal data on race and ethncity, also known as OMB Directive 15.
The Asian & Pacific Islander American Health Forum (APIAHF) and the undersigned national, state and local organizations commended CMS for proposing changes that aim to streamline the application, eligibility determination, enrollment, and renewal processes for Medicaid, CHIP, and the Basic Health Program. These proposed changes will create more uniform and streamlined processes that will help…
The Asian & Pacific Islander American Health Forum (APIAHF) and the undersigned national, state, and local organizations commend HHS-OCR for restoring and clarifying critical healthcare protections in Section 1557 of the Affordable Care Act (Section 1557). While we continue to urge congress to make healthcare more accessible and affordable for all, we are encouraged to see that the…
APIAHF submitted comments in response to the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy’s (OSTP) Request for Information on Equitable Data Engagement and Accountability. APIAHF commented on the need for short and long-term investments in data infrastructure and dedicated resources for workforce training to facilitate data sharing between different levels of government. In response…
APIAHF submitted regulatory comments in response to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Request for Information (RFI) on the Medicare Advantage (MA) Program. Medicare Advantage is vital to addressing health disparities and expanding access to quality medical coverage and social benefits to AA and NH/PI seniors, who represent nearly 5 percent of all MA enrollees.…
APIAHF submitted comments in response to proposed rule changes regarding the Inpatient Prospective Payment System (IPPS) and Long-Term Care Hospital Prospective Payment System. We urged CMS to require hospitals to collect self-reported race and ethnicity data that is disaggregated based on requirements in Section 4302 of the ACA. Additionally, APIAHF commented on the need to…
APIAHF submitted a response (via online form) on a request for information (RFI) on access to care and coverage for Medicaid/CHIP enrollees. We provided comments on the need for stronger language access protections, such as requiring taglines for all written materials for potential and current enrollees beyond vital documents and urged CMS to discourage states…
APIAHF submitted this comment letter in response to the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Notice of Benefit and Payment Parameters for 2022 proposed rule. We expressed support for revising HHS’ interpretation of the ACA’s guaranteed issue provision, emphasized the proposal to prohibit discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity and…
The Asian & Pacific Islander American Health Forum (APIAHF) submit written testimony for the record for the March 18, 2021 hearing before the Constitution, Civil Rights, and Civil Liberties Subcommittee entitled “Discrimination and Violence Against Asian Americans.” The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted AA NHPI communities in multiple ways. AA NHPI communities face a public health emergency…
The novel COVID-19 virus is a national crisis that demonstrates that public health has no boundaries. Yet the impact is being unevenly felt among communities of color who, due to a combination of structural, economic, social and environmental disparities and discrimination, are experiencing higher burdens associated with the pandemic. As a result, COVID-19 is disproportionately…
