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Healthcare

The National Hispanic Caucus of State Legislators (NHCSL) considers the issue of health and wellness as one of its key policy priorities. NHCSL is leading a strategic effort to inform its Hispanic state legislators about current trends, newly released reports and studies, and afford them with the opportunity to engage with national health experts about various issues related to childhood obesity, chronic disease, mental health and environmental health.

The Healthcare Task Force has historically evaluated and approved the greatest number of resolutions of any NHCSL task force.

Task Force Leadership 2024-2025

Task Force Priorities

It covers all issues related to:

  • Health
  • Healthy lifestyles
  • Nutrition in general
  • Obesity
  • Prescription drugs
  • Health insurance
  • Health insurance portability
  • Access to healthcare
  • Health disparities
  • Preventive care
  • Mental health
  • Challenges to access to disadvantaged persons
  • Regulation of the health professions
  • Regulation of hospitals and other healthcare providers

May share issues like medical tourism and regulation of restaurants with the Business and Economic Development Task Force.

May share issues like marijuana legalization or decriminalization (because of medical marijuana) with the Law and Criminal Justice Task Force.

Shares issues like nutrition in schools and vaccinations with the Education Task Force.

Shares issues like immigrant healthcare with the Immigration Task Force.


Recent Resolutions

2023-16

Obesity and Medicaid: Removing Barriers for Our Most Vulnerable Populations

2023-15

Educating and Easing the Burden of Period Poverty

2023-14

Reforming the Section 340B Drug Affordability Program to Ensure its Rebates Accompany the Patient

2023-06

Automatic Enrollment and Streamlined Renewal in Medicaid

2023-07

Support Affordable Healthcare and Medicaid for Dreamers

2022-12

Safety in Dietary Supplements

2022-11

Ensure Equitable Access to High Quality Care for Persons Living with Sickle Cell Disease

2022-09

Improving Access to COVID-19 Treatment and Testing for Vulnerable Populations

2022-07

Promoting Teledentistry and Teleorthodontics

2022-04

Triple-Negative Breast Cancer Awareness

2022-02

Coverage of Advanced Diagnostic Tests and Treatments for Alzheimer's Disease

2022-01

Defending the Right to Abortion and Equal Access to Reproductive Healthcare

2021-21

Recognizing the Importance of Precision Medicine and Biomarker Testing

2021-14

Raising Awareness about the Value of Self-Care

2021-11

Improving Care of Atherosclerotic Disease

2021-04

Raising Awareness about the Importance of Oral Healthcare

2020-12

Encouraging HIV Detection and Ensuring Appropriate Treatments in Medicaid Recipients and the Uninsured

2020-11

Recognizing the importance of convalescent plasma donations in the fight against COVID-19 and other diseases

2020-07

Reducing Obesity, the Primary Comorbidity in the Fight against COVID-19

2020-06

Equity Plan for Affordable Healthcare

2020-05

Jointly Addressing Health Disparities in Response to COVID-19 and Other Potential Pandemics

2020-03

Declaring Institutional Racism a Public Health Crisis

2019-17

Call for States to Remove Non-Medical Vaccination Exemptions

2019-16

Maternal Health and Morbidity

2018-26

Prostate Cancer Awareness

2018-25

Prevention of Deceptive Healthcare Lawsuit Advertisements

2018-24

Support of State and Federal Policies that Increase Access to Curative Hepatitis C Treatments

2018-21

Expanding Access to Fresh Fruits and Vegetables Via Healthy Food Financing Initiatives

2018-17

Increasing Access to Life-saving Treatments and Devices to Combat Opioid-related Mortality and Dependency

2018-09

Removing Barriers to Appropriately Safeguarded Value-Based Arrangements in Healthcare

2018-07

Enhancing Competition in the Generic Pharmaceuticals Market

2018-06

Improving Patient Affordability of Medicines

2017-06

Resolution Urging Congress and the Executive Branch to Address Puerto Rico's Medicaid Cliff

2017-01

Support of State and Federal Policies to Improve Medication Adherence

2016-15

Meningococcal Disease Awareness

2016-04

Adult Vaccine Preventable Disease Awareness and Improvement Month

2016-01

Insurer Practices Impacting Healthcare Access

2015-07

Accelerating Medical Innovation to Save American Lives, Reduce Burden on Healthcare, Improve the Economy and Restore America's Leadership in Biomedical Research

2015-01

A Resolution to Encourage the Clinical Utilization of Opioid Analgesic Drug Products with Formulations that Include FDA-Approved Deterrent Characteristics

2014-09

A Resolution Using the Citizen's Stamp Advisory Committee to Issue a Postage Stamp Honoring the Borinqueneers, the Only Hispanic-Segregated Unit in the United States Military History

2014-08

A Resolution to Increase Public Awareness & Education on Participating in Clinical Trials

2014-05

Addressing Excessive Out-of-Pocket Costs for Patients

2014-04

Ensuring Access to State Level Publicly Funded Real World Datasets to All Qualified Researchers

2014-01

Requesting the United States Department of Health and Human Services to Recommend any Changes to Federal Law that May Be Indicated for the Fostering of Increased Opportunities for Athletic, Creative, Social and Intellectual Activities for Children in Their Schools, Homes and Communities and for Investigating and Addressing the Deleterious Effects of Overmedication on Children in the Country

2013-13

Improving Patient Care Through Medication Synchronization

2013-06

Increasing Public Awareness of Risks of Nonvalvular Atrial Fibrillation

2013-02

Addressing the Obesity Epidemic in America

2012-24

Standardized and Electronic Prior Authorization

2012-21

Preserving Patient Access to Care in Medicare and Medicare Part D

2012-20

Essential Benefits: Ensuring That Every American Has Access to Vital Healthcare Treatments

2012-19

Keeping Children with Diabetes Safe at School

2012-14

Resolution Supporting the Efforts of Resident Commissioner to Urge the U.S. Department of Justice to Allocate the Necessary Resources to Combat Drug-Related Violence in Puerto Rico

2012-12

Resolution on Urban Farming and Green Roofs

2012-11

Resolution on Telemedicine

2012-10

Resolution on Mental Health and Addiction Services

2012-05

Resolution on Re-authorization of Federal Funding for Nutrition and Anti-Hunger Programs

2011-06

Promoting Unrestricted Patient Access to Specialty Drugs

2011-05

Eliminating Restriction and Barriers to Health Care Access and Maintaining Independent Oversight

2011-04

To Oppose Any Effort to Reduce the Federal Budget Deficit at the Expense of Patients and Seniors Who Rely on the Medicare and Medicare Part D Programs for Access to Health Care

2011-03

To Encourage School Systems To Have Epinephrine Readily Available For Treating Anaphylactic Reactions

2010-08

Calling for the Adoption of Health Information Technology, E-Prescribing and Electronic Health Records

2010-01

To Support the Passage of H.R. 3100, the Food Desert Oasis Act of 2009 and Other Action to Address the Nation's Food Deserts

2009-13

2009 Health Care Reform

2008-02

To Reduce Health Disparities Affecting HIV/AIDS

2008-01

Biosimilar Drugs

2007-09

Epilepsy Patient Prescription Drug Safety

2007-03

Protecting and Improving Health and Access to Healthcare and Prescription Medicines for Low and Modest-income Individuals

2007-02

National Hispanic Caucus of State Legislators Resolution Calls for Transparency for Patients in Prescription Drug Care

2006-7

National Hispanic Caucus Of State Legislators Support A Resolution Calling For A New Bottom Line In Reducing The Harms Of Drug Abuse

2006-5

National Hispanic Caucus Of State Legislators (NHCSL) Supports A Resolution To End Cervical Cancer In Our Lifetime

2006-1

NBCSL and NHCSL Urge Congress to Appropriate $14 million to Strengthen Support of the Sickle Cell Treatment Act and the Community Outreach Demonstration Project