For Immediate Release:
April 5, 2022
Contact:
Courtney Holsworth, cholsworth@rabengroup.com, (989) 572-8162
NMA Statement on President Biden’s Executive Order on Strengthening Access to the Affordable Care Act and Medicaid
Today, President Biden signed the Executive Order on Strengthening Access to the Affordable Care Act and Medicaid. In response, Dr. Rachel Villanueva, President of the National Medical Association, issued the following statement:
“In this ongoing time of public health crisis, the National Medical Association applauds President Biden for expanding access to the Affordable Care Act and Medicaid through this new Executive Order. These programs are essential to ensuring equitable healthcare access for all people across the United States, particularly our most vulnerable neighbors and underserved communities. African Americans first gained access to desegregated healthcare through Medicare and Medicaid; it was a moment of hope, and today that hope is renewed. This new Executive Order is the right direction toward achieving health equity. Despite this important milestone, many health and healthcare disparities remain entrenched— and we must continue in our efforts to dismantle them.”
The NMA has always been at the forefront of supporting the ACA and Medicaid, and has been central in the fight against the barriers to healthcare access that have plagued our country. The NMA helped advocate for the passage of the Civil Rights Acts of 1964 and 1965 which, as one of many legislative and judicial milestones reached, eventually outlawed discrimination in government-funded health programs.
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The NMA promotes the collective interests of physicians and patients of African descent. We carry out this mission by serving as the collective voice of physicians of African descent and a leading force for parity in medicine, elimination of health disparities and promotion of optimal health.
