109th Congress

Healthcare Equality and Accountability Act

S. 1580

Background

On July 29, 2005, Senator Daniel K. Akaka (D-HI) introduced S. 1580, the Healthcare Equality and Accountability Act. In his introduction to the legislation, Senator Akaka said, "This bill will improve access to and the quality of health care for indigenous people and racial and ethnic minorities who often lack access and suffer disproportionately from certain diseases. It is essential that we expand and improve the health care safety net so that everyone can access the health care services that they need. This legislation will expand health coverage and includes provisions that will increase access to culturally appropriate and relevant services for our communities. In addition to improving treatments for the diseases that disproportionately affect indigenous people and racial and ethnic minorities, we need to also focus on preventing these diseases in the first place. This legislation will help combat heart disease, asthma, HIV/AIDS, and diabetes. Diabetes is a disease that disproportionately affects Pacific Islanders, including Native Hawaiians. Among populations in Hawaii, Native Hawaiians had the highest age-adjusted mortality rates due to diabetes for the years 2000 to 2002."

Provisions of the Legislation/Impact on NIH

S. 1580 would 1) require the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to establish a national working group on workforce diversity, on which the National Center on Minority Health and Health Disparities (NCMHD) and other U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) entities would serve, 2) require NCMHD to collaborate with the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality and DHHS Office of Minority Health (OMH) to expand research on the link between health workforce diversity and quality health care, and 3) require the Secretary of HHS, acting through NCMHD and in collaboration with OMH, the Office for Civil Rights, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, the Health Resources and Services Administration, and other appropriate public and private entities, to establish and coordinate a health and health care disparities education program to support, develop, and implement educational initiatives and outreach strategies that inform health care professionals and the public about the existence of methods for reducing racial and ethnic disparities in health and health care.

Status and Outlook

S. 1580 was introduced by Senator Akaka on July 29, 2005, and was referred to the Senate Committee on Finance. No further action has occurred on this legislation.