Mother's Day Gift We Can All Be Thankful For

This Mother's Day moms around the country will celebrate their special day with cards and flower. Unfortunately, many moms will not get their wish - access to quality, affordable health care for them and their families. A recent New York Times article demonstrate why we should take note. The article correctly notes that the rising tide of American health is not lifting everyone equally. The widening gaps in life expectancy are caused by the social determinants of health, including income, race, education, environment and geography.

The same concerns many mothers deal with on a daily basis including housing, transportation, education, energy, and health, yet most Americans think only of our health care system until we get sick. But our current health care system isn't the sole reason why racial and ethnic experience higher rates of death and illness.

Health equity is a social justice and moral issue. That is why, as a Member of the Energy and Commerce Committee's Health Subcommittee and Chair of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus' Task Force on Health and the Environment, I am working hard to educate my colleagues about health equity. That is why I introduced H.R. 3014, the Health Equity and Accountability Act of 2007. Although the legislation primarily focuses on improvements to our health care system, it is a big step forward in achieving health equity. This legislation will expand health coverage, remove language and cultural barriers, improve work force diversity, support and expand programs to reduce disparities, improve date collection, ensure accountability and strengthen health institutions that serve minority populations.

We need individuals including mothers in local communities, states, and at national level to speak about health equity. I am proud that more than 320 organizations and more than 100 Members of Congress support the Health Equity and Accountability Act. This Mother's Day, we should all stop and think about those mothers who won't get their wish and recommit ourselves to achieving health equity.

Comments

[Merlin7]

Is Solis sincere about health care? Does the bill call for a single-payer system that excludes insurance companies, or is it just another feel-good measure that would give insurance companies even more of our tax money while they continue to provide half-assed care to most and no care at all to many? (Like those proposed by Obama and Clinton)

By the way, it's typical that we Americans have a large national holiday that celebrates human reproduction -- even as the exploding populations in this country and around the world are the primary causes of global warming, war, famines and a host of other ills. Let's all send Mom an overpriced card, then hop into our SUV to drive to a right-to-life rally sponsored by the local Republican club. God helps us, if my fellow atheists will pardon the expression.

[speciallady2003]

What? This was so vague. What does it mean? What is it? What health care coverage? There is no "health equity" in this country. As anyone who has lived in a country with national health care, the system here is inhumane and inequitable, not to mention poor quality. And no-one wants to properly fix it.