Access to Care
Universal health care insurance is necessary to ensure that everyone within the United States has access to needed health care services of high quality. On this page you will find information about ACP’s efforts to improve access to care for the uninsured. This includes support for state-based innovations in health care reform and our work on health care tax credits. However, access to care encompasses more than just the uninsured; you will also find our work on health disparities and minority health care, and our advocacy in support of mental health services.
Access to Care for the Uninsured
- ACP Comments on the Citizens' Health Care Working Group's Interim Recommendations
Letter To: Citizens' Health Care Working Group, Attn: Comments, Interim Recommendations (22-Aug-06) - ACP Expresses Support for the Health Partnership Act; Letter To: U.S. Senators George Voinovich and Jeff Bingaman (02-May-06)
- Coverage Solutions for the Uninsured: Republican Proposals vs. ACP Proposals - Excel File (21-May-04)
- The Cost of Lack of Health Insurance
(07-May-04) - ACP's Statement to the Subcommittee on Health for the Record of the Hearing
; on the Hearing of the Uninsured (09-Mar-04)
Health Care Reform
- Achieving a High Performance Health Care System with Universal Access
: What the United States Can Learn form Other Countries - ACP Endorses the State-Based Health Care Reform Act; Letter To: The Honorable Russ Feingold and The Honorable Lindsey Graham, United States Senate (07-May-07)
- ACP Expresses Support for the Health Partnership Through Creative Federalism Act; Letter To: The Honorable Tammy Baldwin, U.S. House of Representatives (21-Jan-07)
- ACP Expresses Support for the Health Partnership Act; Letter To: U.S. Senators The Honorable Jeff Bingaman and George Voinovich (21-Jan-07)
- ACP Expresses Support for the Health Partnership Through Creative Federalism Act; Letter To: U.S. Representatives Tammy Baldwin and Tom Price (16-Oct-06)
Health Care Tax Credits
- Consumer-Directed Health Care & Health Savings Accounts
(January 2005) - Small Business Pooling Arrangements & Association Health Plans
(January 2005) - ACP responds Republication Uninsured Task Force recommendations. Letter to Senators: Gregg, Grassley, Snowe, Nickles, Kyl, Enzi, Talent, Cornyn, Hatch, Sessions, Voinovich (21-May-04)
Minority Health Care
- Language Services for Patients with Limited English Proficiency: Results of a National Survey of Internal Medicine Physicians
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- ACP Supports S. 1576. "The Minority Health Improvement and Disparity Elimination Act."
Letter To: Senators Edward Kennedy and Thad Cochran (11-July-07) - ACP Supports S. 4024, the "Minority Health Improvement and Health Disparity Elimination Act"; Letter To: Senators Bill Frist, Edward Kennedy, Jeff Bingaman and Barrack Obama (17-Nov-06)
- ACP Endorses Statement of Principles on Access to Language Services in Health Care
(29-Oct-04) - Letter to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention expressing concerns for the CDC "Future Initiative" and the effect it may have on minority health issues. (30-Jun-04)
- ACP Urges Senate Leaders to Work Collectively to Enact Legislation to Eliminate Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Health and Health Care
; Sign On Letter to Senators Frist and Daschle (20-Apr-04) - ACP Supports S.2091, Closing the Health Care Gap Act of 2004 Letter To: The Honorable Bill Frist, United States Senate (26-Feb-04)
Mental Health Services
- ACP Urges Senate Finance Committee Members to Include Elimination of the Discriminatory 50 Percent Mental Health Coinsurance in Medicare Part B
As Part of Any Major Medicare Legislation Advanced This Year: Letter To: Coalition to the Senate Finance Committee
(03-Oct-07) - Coalition Letter Applauds Introduction of Medicare Mental Health Modernization Act of 2007
; Letter To: The Honorable Fortney H. (Pete) Stark, Chairman, Committee on Ways and Means, U.S. House of Representatives (04-May-07) - Coalition Letter Urging Elimination of Unfair Provision in Federal Law Imposing a 50 Percent Coinsurance Rate For Outpatient Mental Health Services Under Medicare
; Letter To: The Honorable John Dingell, Chairman and the Honorable Joe Barton, Ranking Member, Committee on Energy and Commerce, U.S. House of Representatives (02-May-07) - ACP Supports the Senator Paul Wellstone Mental Health Equitable Treatment Act (S. 486) Letter to: Sign On Letter to Entire Senate (29-Jan-04)
- ACP Supports the Senator Paul Wellstone Mental Health Equitable Treatment Act (H.R. 953) Letter to: Sign On Letter to Entire House (29-Jan-04)
Additional issues under Access to Care
- ACP Supports S. 1716, the "Emergency Health Care Relief Act of 2005"; Letter To: The Honorable Charles E. Grassley and The Honorable Max Baucus (16-Sept-05)
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Policy Highlights
Establishing Federal Guidelines Protecting Against Genetic Discrimination
- March 2008
Achieving a High Performance Health Care System with Universal Access: What the USA Can Learn from Other Countries, at www.annals.org. December, 2007
Public Policy Virtual Library
The Public Policy Virtual Library (PPVL) is a repository of ACP's current and historic policies and the Policy Compendium.
ACP Services, Inc.
ACP Services is committed to providing additional advocacy efforts on behalf of internists.