Initiative on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders

Initiative on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders Blog

  • National AAPI Community Google+ Hangout: February 25

    Posted by Kiran Ahuja on February 10, 2015 at 12:06 PM EDT

    Please join the White House Initiative on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPIs) on Wednesday, February 25, 2015 from 3:00 - 4:00 p.m. ET for our second National AAPI Community Google+ Hangout! After the great engagement from last year’s National Community Google+ Hangout, we are eager to continue the conversation on advancing the AAPI community this year and beyond.

    During this Hangout, White House and Administration officials will discuss national priorities for the AAPI community and give an overview of the May 2015 White House Summit on AAPIs. Konrad Ng, Director of the Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Center, will share the 2015 AAPI Heritage Month theme. Speakers will also highlight all the work federal agencies have done to increase access to services for the AAPI community, and will also chart out next steps to keep the momentum for impact strong. And most importantly, we’ll have an opportunity to hear from people like you, all across the U.S., on issues that you care about.

    Before and during the Google+ Hangout, we encourage you to submit questions on Twitter by using #WHIAAPI, by emailing them to WhiteHouseAAPI@ed.gov, or by submitting them on Google+. We can’t wait to continue the dialogue as we all work towards a stronger community.

    NATIONAL AAPI COMMUNITY GOOGLE+ HANGOUT
    Hosted by the White House Initiative on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders

    DATE: Wednesday, February 25, 2015

    TIME: 3:00 - 4:00 p.m. ET

    RSVP: http://bit.ly/AAPIhangout

    Kiran Ahuja is Executive Director of the White House Initiative on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders.

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  • #AAPIhealth Matters: #GetCovered by February 15

    Posted by Dr. Vivek Murthy on February 9, 2015 at 12:53 PM EDT

    Before the Affordable Care Act, about 2 million Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPI) were uninsured. Among some AAPI groups — such as Korean, Tongan, Pakistani, and Thai Americans — nearly one in four people were uninsured. We made great strides getting AAPIs insured during last year’s Open Enrollment period, and we’re working to help the remaining 1.3 million uninsured AAPIs #GetCovered.

    That’s why the Affordable Care Act matters. It’s helping individuals, families and communities across the country — including AAPIs — #GetCovered. Stories such as those of Anne Ha, Maly Xiong, and Peter Yang serve to remind us how life-changing it can be to have health insurance.

    During the week of January 26-30, the White House Initiative on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders partnered with the White House, the Department of Health and Human Services, and the national Action for Health Justice collaborative to host the second AAPI Affordable Care Act Enrollment Week of Action to help AAPIs #GetCovered. The Week of Action included 23 events in six states — and in more than 13 languages — geared toward encouraging Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders to enroll in health coverage through the Health Insurance Marketplace by the February 15 Open Enrollment deadline. Overall, more than 1,000 AAPI families received information on the Affordable Care Act and nearly 400 individuals received assistance to enroll in the Health Insurance Marketplace.

    Luis Rios helps Gui Ying Lee and Shuo Chau Yang enroll in the Health Insurance Marketplace

    At an enrollment event in Salt Lake City, Luis Rios, a certified navigator from the Utah Health Policy Project, helps Gui Ying Lee (bottom) and Shuo Chau Yang (top) enroll in the Health Insurance Marketplace. (Photo by Paul Chang)

    On January 29, National Youth Enrollment Day of Action, the White House hosted an #AAPIhealth Twitterstorm to encourage young AAPIs to #GetCovered. The Twitterstorm was joined by White House officials, HHS offices, AAPI celebrities, and community groups around the country.

    I joined Tina Tchen, Assistant to President Barack Obama and Chief of Staff to the First Lady, for a special call to thank AAPI navigators, certified application counselors, and other enrollment assistors for their efforts to ensure that AAPI communities benefit from the ACA. We wanted to encourage these hardworking individuals and organizations to continue spreading the word in the final weeks before the February 15 enrollment deadline.

    Another way we are spreading the word is by using in-language resources to help people learn about the Affordable Care Act. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services has released new From Coverage to Care toolkits available in Chinese, Korean, and Vietnamese. These toolkits help guide individuals new to health insurance on how to understand health insurance cards, find a doctor, and make a doctor’s appointment. We also have new in-language educational videos in Burmese, Hmong, Khmer, and Lao as well as fact sheets available in Asian languages.

    For more information on the Affordable Care Act, visit HealthCare.gov or call 1-800-318-2596 for assistance in 150 languages, and enroll before February 15. You can join us on Twitter with #AAPIhealth and #GetCovered. Let’s continue to get the word out and make sure AAPIs across the country #GetCovered!

    Dr. Vivek Murthy is the United States Surgeon General.

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  • February 24 Webinar on Living with Hepatitis B: Cultural Barriers, Stigma, and Institutional Discrimination

    Posted by Christine Soyong Harley on February 2, 2015 at 2:36 PM EDT

    Please join Hep B United and the White House Initiative on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders on February 24, 2015 from 3:00-4:00 PM EST for a webinar on Living with Hepatitis B: Cultural Barriers, Stigma, and Institutional Discrimination, featuring speakers from the President’s Advisory Commission on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders, the U.S. Department of Justice, and Hep B United partners.

    Hepatitis B affects up to two million Americans – yet the disease is often overlooked and largely underdiagnosed. Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPIs) are disproportionately impacted by hepatitis B - as many as 1 in 10 AAPIs are affected, most of whom are limited English proficient, and linguistically isolated and fearful or ashamed of the stigma associated with the disease.  In addition, they may require assistance navigating institutional policies – if not discriminatory or unlawful practices -- that may limit their children’s employment or career opportunities.  

    Join us to learn more about overcoming hepatitis B-related stigma and discrimination. Speakers will discuss cultural barriers unique to AAPI communities, cases of hepatitis B-related discrimination, and protection of the rights of individuals living with hepatitis B under the Americans with Disabilities Act.

    Date:
    February 24, 2015

    Time:
    3:00 - 4:00 PM ET

    Register at: http://bit.ly/1vp4148
    *Be sure to register early, space is limited. A confirmation email with information on how to join the webinar will be sent to you after you register.

    Moderator:

    • Kate Moraras, MPH, Senior Program Director, Hepatitis B Foundation and Director, Hep B United

    Speakers:

    • Diane Narasaki, Commissioner, President’s Advisory Commission on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders and Executive Director, Asian Counseling and Referral Services, Seattle, WA
    • Susana Lorenzo-Giguere, Trial Attorney, Disability Rights Section/Civil Rights Division, U.S. Department of Justice
    • Joan Block, RN, BSN, Executive Director and Co-Founder, Hepatitis B Foundation
    • Nadine Shiroma, Community Civil Rights Advocate, Seattle, WA

    Note: This webinar is off the record and not for press purposes.

    Christine Soyong Harley is Senior Policy Advisor at the White House Initiative on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders.

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  • Domingo Carino’s #GetCovered Story

    Posted by Kiran Ahuja on January 30, 2015 at 12:00 PM EDT

    Domingo Carino arrived in the U.S. from the Philippines in 1998. Domingo recently developed a health condition that he desperately needed medication for but couldn’t afford without health insurance. He applied for Medicaid but after waiting two months, he was denied coverage. Discouraged, Domingo wondered if there was anything or anyone who could help him.

    Finally, his brother, who also happened to be looking for health insurance for his family, encouraged Domingo to come with him to Asian Human Services Family Health Center in Chicago, Illinois. Working with an in-person assister, Domingo found out that he qualified for a special enrollment period since he had been denied by Medicaid. He also learned that the $120 tax credit that he qualified for meant his health insurance plan would only cost $11 a month!

    Domingo’s plan not only allows him to afford his medication, but he was also able to keep his primary care physician. He states, “I’m extremely happy with the tax credits I received through the Affordable Care Act. Now I can live without worrying about how to afford my medication!” For Domingo, the tax credits have been a lifesaver; without them, he couldn’t afford to manage his health.

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  • Kalwis Lo’s #GetCovered Story

    Posted by Kiran Ahuja on January 29, 2015 at 12:00 PM EDT

    Kalwis Lo remembers the day that the Affordable Care Act was signed into law by President Barack Obama. While the other students that he had worked with to support the Affordable Care Act went out to celebrate, he stayed in feeling exhausted. 

    Said Kalwis, “I didn’t know at that moment that a year and a half later I would be benefitting from the very law that was passed that night.”

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  • Peter Yang’s #GetCovered Story

    Posted by Kiran Ahuja on January 28, 2015 at 3:42 PM EDT

    As a college student, studying is par for the course. However, when Peter would head to the library to study, he found himself overwhelmed by feelings of drowsiness. Finally, after talking to a friend and learning about sleep disorders in a class, Peter called a nearby sleep specialist to ask for help. He was invited to participate in a sleep study and in his senior year in college, was diagnosed with narcolepsy.

    At the time, Peter was insured through his college and was able to see a specialist to help with his condition. But after graduating, he lost his insurance and the ability to pay for the medication that allowed him to function normally. All of the major providers denied him coverage because of his pre-existing condition and he could no longer afford to see his specialist.

    Peter’s narcolepsy began to significantly inhibit his day-to-day activities because of constant somnolence. The medication he needed cost $1,500 each month. During this period, he also dislocated his shoulder while rock climbing. His first thought was, “Oh no! I don’t have health insurance!”

    As soon as the Health Insurance Marketplace opened in October 2014, Peter jumped at the opportunity to get health insurance. He was one of the first to sign up and purchased a platinum-level Point of Service plan with the lowest deductible available to him. He also qualified for tax credits, which helped bring the monthly cost down to an affordable level. His coverage began on January 1, 2014 and the first thing he did was get his dislocated shoulder looked at and learn how to better care for his injury.

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