[Congressional Record Volume 146, Number 9 (Monday, February 7, 2000)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E70]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


                  THE HEALTH CARE FAIRNESS ACT OF 1999

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. ROBERT A. UNDERWOOD

                                of guam

                    in the house of representatives

                        Monday, February 7, 2000

  Mr. UNDERWOOD. Mr. Speaker, in February 1999, the Institute of 
Medicine issued a report concluding that federal efforts to research 
cancer in minority communities are insufficient. The report concluded 
that more resources are needed in this area and that a strategic plan 
is needed to coordinate this research.
  In June of 1999, the Commonwealth Fund reported that minority 
Americans lag behind on nearly every health indicator, including health 
care coverage, access to care, life expectancy and disease rates. Just 
in terms of health care access, 45 percent of Hispanic adults, 41 
percent of Asian American adults, and 35 percent of African American 
adults reported difficulty in accessing health care. The report also 
cited the statistics nearly half of Hispanic adults, more than one 
third of African American adults and more than 40 percent of Asian 
American adults report difficulty paying for medical care.
  Last October, the Kaiser Family Foundation released a national survey 
showing that minority groups have concerns about the quality of health 
care they are receiving.
  The common line of these reports is that there is a disparity that 
exists when it comes to health care for minorities.
  Although we have made great advances in science and medicine, not all 
American citizens have shared in the benefits of these advances. 
Furthermore, despite the knowledge of these alarming statistics, we 
have not made the commitment that is necessary to understanding how 
barriers to health care or genetic and behavioral differences affect 
the outcomes of our community.
  This new legislation (the Health Care Fairness Act of 1999) lays out 
a plan to reduce racial and ethnic disparities in health care and 
health outcomes. By elevating the Office of Research on Minority Health 
to create a center for health Disparities Research at the national 
Institutes of Health, we will significantly increase the support for 
research on health disparities, including data collection relating to 
race and ethnicity and funding major increases in minority medical 
training and curriculum development.
  We need to make a serious effort to eliminate racial and ethnic 
disparities in this country. As the Chairman of the Congressional Asian 
Pacific Caucus, I am extremely pleased to join with Senator Edward 
Kennedy, Congressman John Lewis the leaders of the Hispanic and Black 
Caucuses in support of the passage of ``Fair Care''.

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