WASHINGTON – Tonight, in his State of the Union address, President Joe Biden outlined the Administration’s progress over the past year, and his vision for the remainder of his term.

Juliet K. Choi, President & CEO of the Asian & Pacific Islander American Health Forum (APIAHF), released the following statement:

“We applaud President Biden’s and Congress’ continued efforts to reduce health care costs and broaden quality health coverage for American families, including wins from the Inflation Reduction Act.

“This month, we commemorate four years since the start of the deadly, global COVID-19 virus that caused devastating impacts across our country. Today, our country is back, stronger than ever, with American families seeing dividends from policies that have reduced the coverage gap, lowered prescription drug costs, and capped drug costs for seniors. In fact, in the 2023-24 ACA Open Enrollment period, a record-breaking 21.3 million Americans enrolled in marketplace health plans.

“As we celebrate the wins, we also look forward to the opportunities to promote health equity in care and research mentioned tonight, including innovation for rare diseases and cancer through ARPA-H and new initiatives on women’s health research.

“APIAHF is proud of the progress our country has made to strengthen and expand health care and health equity, and reiterate the President’s statements to preserve that right for all people, including protections for reproductive freedoms and privacy. We look forward to continuing to work in partnership with both the Administration and Congress to improve the health of our nation.”

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The Asian & Pacific Islander American Health Forum (APIAHF) influences policy, mobilizes communities, and strengthens programs and organizations to improve the health of Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders.