Publish Date:   May 29, 2024 Type:  Testimony and Comments, Comment Letter Topics:  Data Disaggregation, Health Care Access, Public Health, Medicare Ethnicity: Language:  English State: APIAHF comment letter to the CMS requesting for improvements on the collection and usage of comprehensive race, ethnicity, language, and other demographic data on Medicare Advantage (Part C) beneficiaries and providers. Currently, Medicare Advantage data is not in compliance with OMB standards for federal race and ethnicity data.

Publish Date:   July 2024 Type:  Testimony and Comments, Comment Letter Topics:  Data Disaggregation, Health Care Access, Public Health Ethnicity: Language:  English State: Comment letter submitted by APIAHF to the Office of Minority Health supporting the development of public health vaccine and prevention campaigns involving community health workers (CHWs).

Publish Date: June 2022 Type: Fact Sheet, FAQ, Infographics Topics: Alzheimer's, Brain Awareness, Dementia Ethnicity: Language: English State: Dementia is a brain condition that affects the brain’s functions to control thought, memory, and language. Alzheimer’s is the most common form of dementia, accounting for 60-80% of dementia cases.

Publish Date: August 2019 Type: Fact Sheet Topics: ACA, Community Outreach, Enrollment, Health Advocacy, Health Policy Ethnicity: Language: English State: For the first time since the passage of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), the rates of people not enrolled in health insurance have stagnated or increased. Some communities have been particularly impacted: for example, from 2016 the uninsured rate for Native Hawaiians rose from 4.7% to 5.5%, Micronesians from 11.5% to 13.1%, Burmese from 12% to 13.2%, and Cambodians from 7.4% to 8.2%.

Publish Date: August 2020 Type: Fact Sheet Topics: 1557, ACA, Affordable Care Act, Human Care Rights Law, Language Access Ethnicity: Language: English State:

Publish Date: May 2020 Type: Memo Topics: ACA, Language Access, Medicaid, OMB, Section 1557 Ethnicity: Language: State: Since the passage of the Affordable Care Act in 2010, Section 1557, known as the Health Care Rights Law, has offered critical protections in civil rights and health care for several protected groups. In promulgating the Final Rule in 2016, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office for Civil Rights (HHS OCR) went through an extensive Request for Information, issued a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, and later the Final Rule in 2016. Since then, covered entities have come into compliance with the many protections required by Section 1557, including protections for limited English proficient persons (LEP). On May 24, 2019, HHS OCR and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services proposed substantial revisions to the Health Care Rights Law that would roll-back civil rights protections for transgender persons, abortion access, and language access.

Publish Date: May 2021 Type: Topics: Data Disaggregation, Health disparities, Health Equity, race & ethnicity, Robert Woods Johnson Foundation, state resource Ethnicity: Language: State: Sometimes, being seen becomes a matter of life and death. It can determine whether we are able to live a life of well-being and enjoy access to health, educational, and economic opportunities. Being visible is especially important in decisions that guide federal, state, and local policies, funding, and institutional practices and programs. Fully understanding challenges and clearly defining opportunities requires access to information that reflects everyone. As our nation becomes increasingly diverse in terms of race and ethnicity, advancing health equity requires an understanding of how health and health disparities are experienced across distinct racial and ethnic populations and indigenous peoples. But when we look to existing data for answers, we rarely find this information. It is either not collected at all, or the existing information on race and ethnicity is lumped into broad categories that do not allow distinct groups to be seen. These flaws in data collection and reporting render populations invisible, mask unique needs, and hide strengths and assets. It means that decisions are being made that impact people’s lives and well-being without complete information. It’s time to get the full picture. This guide is written for community leaders and advocates who want to advance health equity by calling for changes in the way data are collected, analyzed, and reported. It supports efforts to make the unique health needs and disparities faced by racial and ethnic populations visible. The project was funded by the Robert Woods Johnson Foundation and was created in partnership with the Arab Community Center for Economic and Social Services (ACCESS), the Asian & Pacific Islander American Health Forum, the National Congress of American Indians (NCAI), the National Urban League, and UnidosUS.

Publish Date: September 2022 Type: Fact Sheet, FAQ Topics: ACA, Affordable Care Act, Section 1557 Ethnicity: Language: English State:

Publish Date: November 2021 Type: Fact Sheet, FAQ, Infographics, Public Health Alerts Topics: ACA, Health Care, Health Insurance, Open Enrollment Ethnicity: Language: English State:

Publish Date: July 2023 Type: Report Topics: Report, CBO, Community Based Organization, Funding, Health Advocacy, Mental Health, Survey Ethnicity: Language: State: The third annual national survey explores the priorities and challenges of nearly 100 Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander serving community-based organizations post the acute phase of the COVID-19 pandemic. Key highlights include: Top Five Emerging Health Programming Funding Gaps: People With Disabilities LGBTQI+ Health Maternal & Child Health Addiction & Substance Abuse Mental Health Top Five Advocacy Priorities: Health Equity Data Equity and Data Disaggregation Language Access Access to Health Insurance Racial Justice Challenges to Enrolling People in Health Coverage: Language Access Systemic Complexities Funding Staffing Constraints Trust Issues

Publish Date: August 2023 Type: Fact Sheet, FAQ, Infographics, Public Health Alerts Topics: ACA, Health Care, Health Insurance, Open Enrollment Ethnicity: Language: English State: There is no way to know who will develop cancer or other health problems from HPV infection. However, HPV vaccination could prevent more than 90% of the estimated 33,700 cases of cancer attributable to HPV infection that are diagnosed each year in the U.S. According to the Centers For Disease Control and Prevention, Asian and Pacific Islander women are 20% less likely to be immunized against HPV compared to non-Hispanic White women.

...Medicaid; Consumer Operated and Oriented Plan (CO-OP) Program; and Basic Health Program Publish Date: January 2024 Type: Testimony and Comments Topics: ACA, CMS, Medicaid, medicare Ethnicity: Language: State: 31 CFR Part 33 and 45 CFR Part 155: Section 1332 Waivers We support the proposed changes to Section 1332 waiver processes allowing states the opportunity to hold post-award forums and public hearings virtually and through digital platforms. 42 CFR Parts 435 and 600: Medicaid Eligibility for the States, District of Columbia, the Northern Mariana Islands and American Samoa, and Administrative Practice and Procedure, Health Care, Health insurance, Intergovernmental Relations, Penalties, Reporting and Recordkeeping Requirements We support the proposed changes to allow states to implement a less restrictive Medicaid income eligibility methodology for specific non-Modified Adjusted Gross Income (MAGI) populations and tailor income and/or resource disregards for discrete subpopulations in the same eligibility group. 45 CFR Part 155: Exchange Establishment Standards and Other Related Standards under the Affordable Care Act Approval of a State Exchange (Section 155.105) and Election to Operate an Exchange after 2014 (Section 155.106) We support the proposal to require that a state seeking to operate a state-based exchange must first operate a state-based exchange using the Federal platform (SBE-FP) for at least one plan year. Additional Required Benefits (Section 155.170) We strongly support the proposed change to allow that state-mandated benefits added after December 31, 2011 to be considered Essential Health Benefits (EHBs) and therefore not subject to defrayal. Consumer Assistance Tools and Programs of an Exchange (Section 155.205) We support the proposed changes to establish additional minimum standards for exchange call center operations, and the inclusion of such additional requirements in the state exchange blueprint application. Requirement for Exchanges to Operate a Centralized Eligibility and Enrollment Platform on the Exchange’s Website (Sections 155.205(b) and 155.302(a)(1)) We strongly support the changes to Sections 155.205(b) and 155.302(a)(1), as they provide applicants with important flexibility during enrollment and take critical steps to protect QHP applicants from incorrect eligibility determinations made by non-marketplace entities. Adding and Amending Language to Ensure Web-brokers Operating in State Exchanges Meet Certain HHS Standards Applicable in the FFEs and SBE-FPs (Section 155.220) We support the proposed alignment of consumer protections across exchanges through a nationwide standard. Failure to Reconcile (FTR) Process (Section 155.305(f)(4)) We support CMS’ efforts to promote continuity of coverage, encourage compliance with filing and reconciling requirements, minimize the risk of large tax liabilities for (APTC) recipients and avoid situations where enrollees become uninsured when their APTC is terminated. Verification Process Related to Eligibility for Enrollment in a QHP through the Exchange (Section 155.315(e)) We support the proposed changes to Section155.315(e), permitting all marketplaces to accept applicants’ attestation of incarceration status without additional electronic verification. Initial and Annual Open Enrollment Periods (Section 155.410) We support the proposed changes to align state marketplace open enrollment periods and require that all state marketplaces adopt an open enrollment period that begins on November 1 of the calendar year preceding the benefit year and ends no earlier than January 15 of the applicable benefit year. Effective Dates of Coverage (Section 155.420(b)) and Monthly Special Enrollment Period for APTC-Eligible Qualified Individuals with a Household Income at or Below 150 Percent of the Federal Poverty Level We support the proposed changes at Section 155.420 to minimize potential coverage gaps by aligning effective coverage dates across all exchanges such that people enrolling in coverage during a special enrollment period (SEP) have coverage effective on the first day of the month after they make their plan selection. Establishment of Exchange Network Adequacy Standards (Section 155.1050) We support the proposed changes to require state-based marketplaces (SBMs) and SBE-FPs to establish quantitative time and distance standards for all QHPs that are at least as stringent as the network adequacy standards in federally-facilitated exchanges (FFEs). Proposal Related to QHP Reporting on Telehealth Services We appreciate the Federal government’s continued efforts to understand access to telehealth services to inform future policies and believe that community voices should be centered in future policy through strategies like regional listening sessions in multiple languages, trusted community partnerships, and infusing resources into communities with limited broadband access or digital literacy. 45 CFR Part 156: Health Insurance Issuer Standards under the Affordable Care Act, Including Standards Related to Exchanges State Selection of EHB-Benchmark Plans for Plan Years Beginning on or after January 1, 2027 (Section 156.111) In general, we support the proposed changes to reduce the burden on states when making updates to EHB benchmark plans. Provision of EHB (Section 156.115) We strongly support CMS’ proposal to remove the regulatory prohibition on issuers from including routine non-pediatric dental services as an EHB. Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders, and Asians (ages 20-49) have been reported to have some of the lowest access and utilization of dental services. Prescription Drug Benefits (Section 156.122) and Coverage of Prescription Drugs as EHB We support the adoption of the USP Drug Classification (DC) to replace the USP Medicare Model Guidelines (MMG). Standardized Plan Options (Section 156.201) We appreciate CMS’ continued efforts to ensure the availability of standardized plan options and to require issuers to differentially display standardized plans. Such plan options are an essential tool for increasing enrollment while optimizing affordability of coverage and access to services that can address health disparities in marketplace coverage.