For months, we have heard about health care reform—the truths and the many myths. With this
information overload, it’s easy to get lost in all the lingo of “co-ops,” “triggers,” “Cadillac plans,” etc.
and certainly tempting to turn away from the vitriol of these debates. As a community that faces
incredible challenges in getting quality health care, we do not have the luxury of staying out of this debate.
Health disparities persist in the Asian American community without any regard to the “model minority” myth that persuades people, inside and outside of the community, otherwise. Issues of language, culture, affordability, and restrictions on legal immigrants impose major barriers to effective health care for the Asian American community.
National Civil Rights Groups Join Forces on Children's Health Coverage
Leading civil rights groups, including the Asian American Justice Center (AAJC), the Children's Defense Fund (CDF), the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), the National Congress of American Indians (NCAI), and the National Council of La Raza (NCLR), have partnered to urge Congress to to realize America’s promise of covering all children, ensuring that the millions of uninsured and underinsured children are not forgotten during the health care reform debate.
The Asian American community has long borne the tag of being the “model minority,” a myth that has contributed to the perception that Asian Americans suffer from few health issues. Considerable health disparities, however, persist in the Asian American community, and barriers in obtaining coverage and in finding culturally andlinguistically appropriate health care contribute to and intensify these disparities.
The Asian American Justice Center applauds Congress for its mission of instituting comprehensive health care reform now. The Senate HELP committee issued its draft of the Affordable Health Choices Act which makes advances in providing affordable health care options through the establishment of the American Health Benefit Gateways and in developing a health care workforce that meets the needs of diverse and underserved communities. Critical topics to the Asian American community and other underserved and vulnerable populations, however, must still be addressed to ensure that health reform provides equitable, affordable, and effective health coverage for all in the United States.
