Coalition building to develop policy that addresses racial and ethnic health disparities: HEAA Community Working Group perspectives

Over the past five Congressional cycles, the Congressional Tri-Caucus, made up of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus (CAPAC), the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) and the Congressional Hispanic Caucus (CHC) has introduced the Health Equity and Accountability Act (HEAA), a comprehensive bill to reduce ethnic and racial disparities. The focus of these bills has been to provide federal support, resources and policies to tackle disparities in health status and the health care system at all levels. In the 112th Congress, a Community Working Group (CWG) was convened to build on the advancements of the Affordable Care Act by updating the HEAA. Made up of national health advocacy organizations, professional groups and associations, the HEAA CWG worked closely with the leadership of the Congressional Tri-Caucus on the development of H.R. 2954. This session will help participants understand how the H.R. 2954 will help complement the Affordable Care Act's efforts to reduce health disparities. Several representatives of the HEAA CWG will present an overview of their experiences of effective coalition building and share strategies on how to influence legislative policies at the federal level. Participants will be able to discuss with panelists effective ways to engage with Congressional staff to develop health policy to decrease health disparities.