Sen. Booker, Rep. Jayapal, Introduce Urgent Legislation to Expand Health Care to Immigrants
The HEAL for Immigrant Families Act ensures critical access to Medicaid and the
"For far too long, many immigrant communities have been unfairly denied access to health coverage leading many individuals and families to go without necessary, essential health services, such as preventive care, diagnostic testing, and treatments," said
"We must finally guarantee health care to everyone as a human right -- regardless of immigration status, income, employment, or anything else," said
The need to eliminate barriers to health care and expand access has only been highlighted by a deadly public health crisis that has disproportionately impacted immigrants who are at a significantly higher risk of COVID-19 infection. Immigrants also represent a substantial part of America's essential workforce with at least 23 million immigrants -- including more than one million Dreamers -- making up one in five individuals in the essential workforce. Additionally, over two-thirds of the undocumented population are working on the frontlines of the pandemic, leaving them more vulnerable to the harms of COVID-19.
Immigrants are significantly more likely to be uninsured compared to citizens, placing them at a higher risk for adverse health and financial consequences. In 2018, one quarter of lawfully present immigrants and 45 percent of undocumented immigrants were uninsured. While the immigrant population as a whole accounted for an estimated 14% of the population, immigrants made up 30% of the non-elderly uninsured population. The HEAL for Immigrant Families Act would make everyone -- regardless of immigration status -- eligible to purchase qualified health insurance coverage, obtain premium tax credits and cost-sharing reductions, and enroll in Basic Health Programs.
The legislation is endorsed by hundreds of local, state, and national organizations including Advocates for Youth, All*Above All,
For a full list of endorsing organizations, click here: http://jayapal.house.gov/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/HEAL-Act-Endorsements-1.pdf
"Racism and xenophobia are at the root of policies that deny Asian American and Pacific Islander, Black, and Latino immigrants access to health care. Discriminatory barriers to coverage mean immigrants are often forced to choose between quality care and prohibitively expensive out-of-pocket costs," said Sung Yeon Choimorrow, the executive director of the
"Everyone - every person and every family - needs access to healthcare, including the full range of reproductive care, regardless of their im/migration status or how long they have been living in this country. The COVID-19 pandemic that has devastated Latina/x, Black, Indigenous, AAPI, and other underserved communities has also highlighted the stark disparities in healthcare access and outcomes we face in this country. It is irrefutable that we need to pass bold legislation like the HEAL for Immigrant Families Act to expand healthcare coverage for all im/migrants in our communities," said
"Immigrant communities cannot wait. They urgently need equitable access to health care. The HEAL Immigrant Families Act charts the course for achieving equitable coverage," said
"Immigrants are more than just our status. We are essential members of our communities, and the HEAL Act will remove barriers that have wrongfully denied millions of immigrants and their loved ones access to critical health care for too long," said
The bicameral HEAL for Immigrant Families Act is co-sponsored by
It is also co-sponsored by
To read the legislation, click here: http://jayapal.house.gov/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/HEAL-Act_Jayapal.pdf
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Rep. Jayapal, Sen. Booker, and Rep. Barragan Introduce Legislation to Expand Health Care to Immigrants
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