(IOM)report,UnequalTreatment-AHAHomePage.pdfVIP

May 4, 2009 President Barack Obama The White House 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW Washington, DC 20500 Dear Mr. President: The undersigned organizations applaud you for making health care reform a top priority in light of the many challenges facing our nation. We share your commitment to reforming our nation’s health care system and are encouraged by the promise that an improved system holds for everyone. However for health reform to truly succeed, every person – regardless of race or ethnicity – must be afforded equal access to quality care. Therefore, we believe it is critically important that health reform include a comprehensive set of principles designed to eliminate the health disparity gap that exists for racial and ethnic minorities. In 2007, the U.S. Census Bureau estimated that nearly one-third of Americans identified themselves as a racial or ethnic minority. By 2050, the Census Bureau projects the proportion will grow to nearly half of all Americans. The ground-breaking 2003 Institute of Medicine (IOM) report, Unequal Treatment, demonstrated that minority populations have been left behind in access to timely, quality health care services and positive health outcomes. And while the most recent Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality National Healthcare Disparities Report showed some progress in reducing disparities, the overall picture remains the same – the gaps in access to care and quality of care continue to grow. As your administration and Congress consider fundamental reform of our nation’s health care system, now is the appropriate time to ensure the delivery of quality, cost effective care for minority populations and implement measures that will improve cultural competency and language access to health services, eliminate barriers to health care, and build a more diverse health care workforce. The undersigned organizations agree upon the following three priorities as essential to eliminating the