For Immediate Release
June 6, 2017
Contact: Amy Lebowitz, Camino PR
212.255.2575 / amy@caminopr.com

NEW YORK— The National Asian Pacific American Women’s Forum (NAPAWF) is proud to support the reintroduction of the Health Equity and Access under the Law (HEAL) for Immigrant Women and Families Act of 2017. Representative Michelle Lujan-Grisham reintroduced the HEAL Act, which would remove the five-year ban on lawfully present immigrants’ access to Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), as well as other unnecessary barriers to health insurance coverage for lawfully present immigrants in the United States — including Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) recipients. National Asian Pacific American Women’s Forum (NAPAWF) Executive Director Sung Yeon Choimorrow issued the following statement in response:

“NAPAWF is pleased to endorse the HEAL Act for Immigrant Women and Families as an organizational partner. For over 20 years, politicians have been restricting our communities’ access to health care based solely on immigration status. These restrictions have kept immigrant Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) women and their families from accessing necessary health care services, further exacerbating health disparities in the AAPI community and jeopardizing the health of entire communities. Lack of access to health insurance can lead to delayed treatment, less preventative care, and worse medical outcomes — all of which can be devastating to the health and wellness of AAPI women, transgender and gender non-conforming people.

“All our communities are stronger and healthier when each person has the resources and support they need to care for their bodies and families. The HEAL Act is a step in the right direction to ensuring that all, not just some, members of the AAPI community have the medical care they need to nurture their health and the health of their loved ones. Regardless of immigration status, all of our communities deserve to have the health care we need to thrive and grow in this country. We hope members of Congress will join Representative Lujan-Grisham and the cosponsors of the HEAL Act to create fair and equal access to healthcare for immigrants in the US.”

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The National Asian Pacific American Women’s Forum (NAPAWF) is the only multi-issue, progressive, community organizing, and policy advocacy organization for Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) women and girls in the U.S. NAPAWF’s mission is to build a movement to advance social justice and human rights for AAPI women and girls.