Health Care Blog

The Faces of Health Care: Ryan P.

Posted by David Hudson on December 23, 2014 at 11:30 AM EDT

"Having insurance now won’t cure me, but maybe it will give me a chance to take control of my life again someday."

Thanks to the Affordable Care Act, Ryan from Austin, TX was able to find quality, affordable health insurance after enrolling in the exchange in Texas.

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Promoting Positive Mental Health and Support for Young AAPI Leaders

Posted by Jason Tengco, Bessie Chan on December 22, 2014 at 5:39 PM EDT

On December 9, 2014 the White House Initiative on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (WHIAAPI) held its second Young Leaders Dialogue (YLD) Google+ Hangout, focused on Mental Health. This is the second installment of a four part YLD series happening in conjunction with the E3! Ambassadors Program, comprised of young leaders across the nation committed to increasing opportunity and improving the quality of life for AAPIs. These E3! Ambassadors aim to “Educate, Engage and Empower” young leaders, by highlighting federal programs and resources for AAPIs around the issues of education, mental health, pathways to public service and Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA). The first YLD on Education took place in October 2014.

During the recent YLD on Mental Health, Juliet Bui from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) and DJ Ida from the National Asian American Pacific Islander Mental Health Association (NAAPIMHA) shared the barriers AAPIs face when dealing with mental health issues, the incredible wealth of resources that are available for addressing these issues, and the benefits of positive mental health. Federal resources like the SAMHSA Treatment Referral Helpline (1‑877‑SAMHSA7) and the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline (1-800-273-TALK) serve as valuable tools where callers can get general information on mental health and talk directly to trained crisis workers. In addition, speakers discussed the warning signs of people who may be considering suicide and how friends and family can create a safe, supportive space for the person to talk and how to make a referral to someone trained in crisis intervention and suicide prevention. Above all, speakers highlighted that friends and family do make a difference and can raise awareness around mental health for AAPIs.

The YLD on Mental Health closed out the event series for 2014, and we look forward to opening the New Year with our YLD on Pathways to Public Service in February 2015. YLDs are a way for young leaders to learn about federal resources available around issues that affect them, and share their personal stories. Each dialogue features Administration officials, community leaders, and other experts on the topic and can provide valuable information to increase access and opportunity for young AAPIs.

To find ways to engage your community around these issues, check out our mental health toolkit, and stay tuned for our upcoming YLD on Pathways to Public Service in February 2015.

Jason Tengco is a Senior Advisor and Bessie Chan is an Advisor at the White House Initiative on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders.

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The Faces of Health Care: Regina M.

Posted by David Hudson on December 22, 2014 at 11:40 AM EDT

"I remember breaking down in tears because no longer was I going to be punished for a disease I never asked for."

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"America's Resurgence Is Real": President Obama Reflects on 2014

Posted by Tanya Somanader on December 19, 2014 at 7:19 PM EDT

President Barack Obama holds a press conference in the James S. Brady Press Briefing Room of the White House. December 19, 2014. (Official White House Photo by Lawrence Jackson)

As 2014 winds down, President Obama stopped by the press briefing room in the White House to offer his thoughts on what the past year has meant for the country. "I said that 2014 would be a year of action and would be a breakthrough year for America," he said. "And it has been."

Here's a look at what happened this year, in the President's own words:

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Dan Pfeiffer Joins Medium: "Breaking Down the 'Worst' Year in Washington"

Posted by Lindsay Holst on December 19, 2014 at 12:34 PM EDT

Today, Senior Advisor Dan Pfeiffer joined the new publishing platform Medium -- authoring a post that reflects on the incredible amount of progress made in 2014 despite some claims that the President had "the worst year in Washington." Moving forward, he will continue to post important highlights, insights, and reflections on the President's agenda.

(For more posts from across the Administration, be sure to also follow President Obama and the White House on Medium, as well.)

In today's post, he reflects on 2014 as a year of real and meaningful progress for President Obama and the progressive agenda -- no matter what the critics have said. He goes on to note a few meaningful progress points from the year:
1. 2014 has been the strongest year of job growth since the 1990s.
2. America's uninsured rate dropped to near-historic lows in 2014 -- In spite of the fact that this time a year ago, politicians and the press were predicting the demise of the Affordable Care Act.
3. The President made historic progress across the board on the central global challenge of the next century: Climate change and environmental protection.
4. President Obama's Executive Action to fix our immigration system is the most meaningful effort in decades to make the system fairer, more transparent, and more predictable.
5. In his six years in office, the President has reshaped the federal judiciary to include more women, minorities, gays, and lesbians, so it might resemble more closely the nation it serves.
Read the full post on Medium -- and then share it with anyone you know who might need a reminder of exactly how much got done in 2014.

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The Faces of Health Care: Peter M.

Posted by Lindsay Holst on December 19, 2014 at 11:35 AM EDT

"...I've felt strong enough to liberate some of my extra savings that I'd been holding onto for healthcare emergencies, so I'm now able to help more with my son's college expenses ... My guess is that there are many more Americans whose new health insurance is already allowing them to contribute more fully to the economy and their communities."

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Health Care Blog

The Faces of Health Care: Ryan P.

"Having insurance now won’t cure me, but maybe it will give me a chance to take control of my life again someday."

Promoting Positive Mental Health and Support for Young AAPI Leaders

The Faces of Health Care: Regina M.

"I remember breaking down in tears because no longer was I going to be punished for a disease I never asked for."

"America's Resurgence Is Real": President Obama Reflects on 2014

Dan Pfeiffer Joins Medium: "Breaking Down the 'Worst' Year in Washington"

2014 has been the strongest year of job growth since the 1990s.

America's uninsured rate dropped to near-historic lows in 2014 -- In spite of the fact that this time a year ago, politicians and the press were predicting the demise of the Affordable Care Act.

The President made historic progress across the board on the central global challenge of the next century: Climate change and environmental protection.

President Obama's Executive Action to fix our immigration system is the most meaningful effort in decades to make the system fairer, more transparent, and more predictable.

In his six years in office, the President has reshaped the federal judiciary to include more women, minorities, gays, and lesbians, so it might resemble more closely the nation it serves.

The Faces of Health Care: Peter M.

From the Press Office

HealthCare.gov is Open for Business

Health Care Blog

"Having insurance now won’t cure me, but maybe it will give me a chance to take control of my life again someday."

"I remember breaking down in tears because no longer was I going to be punished for a disease I never asked for."

2014 has been the strongest year of job growth since the 1990s.

America's uninsured rate dropped to near-historic lows in 2014 -- In spite of the fact that this time a year ago, politicians and the press were predicting the demise of the Affordable Care Act.

The President made historic progress across the board on the central global challenge of the next century: Climate change and environmental protection.

President Obama's Executive Action to fix our immigration system is the most meaningful effort in decades to make the system fairer, more transparent, and more predictable.

In his six years in office, the President has reshaped the federal judiciary to include more women, minorities, gays, and lesbians, so it might resemble more closely the nation it serves.

From the Press Office

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