The Asian and Pacific Islander American Health Forum (APIAHF) advocates for government-controlled universal health care. ¹ Its focus on improved health care outcomes for specific ethnicities coalesces through support of Obamacare, ² and a universal health care scheme ³ which includes government funding for all abortions. ⁴ APIAHF states that structural racism in the United States is a public health crisis. ⁵

In March 2022, APIAH was the recipient of grant funds from Mackenzie Scott’s $3.8 billion philanthropic pledge. ⁶

Health Care Advocacy

The Asian and Pacific Islander American Health Forum supports Obamacare and condemned Congressional efforts to defund it. APIAHF alleged that “House leadership will once again try to use politics to put the nation’s fiscal health at risk by attempting to defund the Affordable Care Act for the 42nd time.” ⁷

While APIAHF supports retaining Obamacare, it opposes limitations in its coverage approach because it did not provide coverage of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) recipients. The group also demands that “patients should be able to access providers that are not only close in proximity, but are culturally competent, ideally providing services in the patient’s preferred language.” It insists on “a health care workforce, made up of not only doctors, nurses and other health workers that come from communities of color.” ⁸ In 2022, the APIAHF supported the Lift the Bar Act (also known as the Lifting Immigrant Families Through Benefits Access Restoration Act). This proposed legislation “removes barriers to public benefits, including Medicaid, for lawfully present non-citizens.” ⁹

APIAHF alleged that the Trump administration “continued its long-haul assault on civil rights by putting the lives, experiences and very identity of transgender Americans in danger by threatening to stop enforcing and recognizing their civil rights.” It claimed that through Obamacare, “discrimination based on sex in federal health programs was eliminated for the first time.” It also asserted that the law “provided better, stronger protections in health care rights for all Americans—regardless of the color of their skin, how they identify, their age, where they come from, what languages they speak or if they have a disability.” ¹⁰

APIAHF believes that “racism remains a public health crisis” ¹¹ and aspires to “becom[e] an anti-racist organization. We will continue to embrace our role in addressing racism as a public health crisis, and defining structural racism as a social determinant of health, centering Black lives, and continuing to unlearn anti-Blackness.” ¹²

It blames structural racism as an “underlying social determinants of health, including where people are born, grow, live, work, age, and worship.” ¹³

Abortion Advocacy

The Asian and Pacific Islander American Health Forum supports abortion access and taxpayer funding for abortions. It has alleged that the Hyde Amendment, which limits government funding of abortion, “force[s] women who rely on Medicaid to make the hard choice of paying their rent, or getting the health care they need.” It claimed the amendment took away Constitutional rights and forced women “to carry an unwanted pregnancy to term because they cannot afford reproductive health care.” It also supports covering abortions through Medicaid.” ¹⁴

Amina Abbas, APIAHF’s director of government relations, wrote that when abortion clinics operated by Planned Parenthood closed in Texas because of restrictions in state law, 27% more babies were born in 18 months. Abbas added, “Diminished access to comprehensive health care jeopardizes the well-being of women and their families. Losing access to an affordable and accessible health clinic like Planned Parenthood is not only the consequence of legally restricting abortion—it is devastating physically and financially.” ¹⁵

APIAHF insists that the Affordable Care Act should be amended so that “all persons must have access to abortion services, regardless of where they live, the type of coverage they have, or their ability to pay.” ¹⁶

Financials

Tax records show that Asian and Pacific Islander American Health Forum received nearly half of its $5 million in income from government funds. spent over $2 million on staff and executive compensation, over $500,000 on travel and conferences, and $26,967 on lobbying expenditures. ¹⁷

1. ^[1] “APIAHF Testimony on Ways and Means Hearing Entitled Pathways to Universal Health Coverage.” APIAHF. June 12, 2019. https://waysandmeans.house.gov/sites/democrats.waysandmeans.house.gov/files/documents/APIAHF%20Testimony%20on%20Ways%20and%20Means%20Hearing%20Entitled%20Pathways%20to%20Universal%20Health%20Coverage%20June%2012%202019.pdf
2. Ko Chin, Kathy. “Trump Attack on Transgender Community Is an Attack on Us All.” Medium. November 6, 2018. https://medium.com/@APIAHF/trump-attack-on-transgender-community-is-an-attack-on-us-all-eac33d26b7cf
3. “APIAHF Testimony on Ways and Means Hearing Entitled Pathways to Universal Health Coverage.” APIAHF. June 12, 2019. https://waysandmeans.house.gov/sites/democrats.waysandmeans.house.gov/files/documents/APIAHF%20Testimony%20on%20Ways%20and%20Means%20Hearing%20Entitled%20Pathways%20to%20Universal%20Health%20Coverage%20June%2012%202019.pdf
4. “APIAHF Testimony on Ways and Means Hearing Entitled Pathways to Universal Health Coverage.” APIAHF. June 12, 2019. https://waysandmeans.house.gov/sites/democrats.waysandmeans.house.gov/files/documents/APIAHF%20Testimony%20on%20Ways%20and%20Means%20Hearing%20Entitled%20Pathways%20to%20Universal%20Health%20Coverage%20June%2012%202019.pdf
5. “APIAHF Statement on the One Year Anniversary of the Atlanta Shootings.” APIAHF. March 16, 2022. https://www.apiahf.org/press-release/apiahf-statement-on-the-one-year-anniversary-of-the-atlanta-shootings/
6. Scott, MacKenzie. “Helping Any of Us Can Help Us All.” Medium. March 23, 2022. https://mackenzie-scott.medium.com/helping-any-of-us-can-help-us-all-f4c7487818d9
7. Ko Chin, Kathy. “Planned House Vote to Again Defund Health Reform a ‘Serious Disappointment.’” Indian Country Today. September 20, 2013. https://indiancountrytoday.com/archive/planned-house-vote-to-again-defund-health-reform-a-serious-disappointment
8. “APIAHF Testimony on Ways and Means Hearing Entitled Pathways to Universal Health Coverage.” APIAHF. June 12, 2019. https://waysandmeans.house.gov/sites/democrats.waysandmeans.house.gov/files/documents/APIAHF%20Testimony%20on%20Ways%20and%20Means%20Hearing%20Entitled%20Pathways%20to%20Universal%20Health%20Coverage%20June%2012%202019.pdf
9. Choi, Juliet K. “Apiahf Celebrates Immigrant Heritage Month with Senate Introduction of Lift the Bar Act.” APIAHF June 1, 2022. https://www.apiahf.org/press-release/apiahf-celebrates-immigrant-heritage-month-with-senate-introduction-of-lift-the-bar-act/
10. Ko Chin, Kathy. “Trump Attack on Transgender Community Is an Attack on Us All.” Medium. November 6, 2018. https://medium.com/@APIAHF/trump-attack-on-transgender-community-is-an-attack-on-us-all-eac33d26b7cf
11. “APIAHF Statement on the One Year Anniversary of the Atlanta Shootings.” APIAHF. March 16, 2022. https://www.apiahf.org/press-release/apiahf-statement-on-the-one-year-anniversary-of-the-atlanta-shootings/
12. Ko Chin, Kathy. “Honoring Congressman John Lewis.” Medium. July 21, 2020. https://medium.com/@APIAHF/honoring-congressman-john-lewis-6fdcbb51baf0.
13. “APIAHF Testimony on Ways and Means Hearing Entitled Pathways to Universal Health Coverage.” APIAHF. June 12, 2019. https://waysandmeans.house.gov/sites/democrats.waysandmeans.house.gov/files/documents/APIAHF%20Testimony%20on%20Ways%20and%20Means%20Hearing%20Entitled%20Pathways%20to%20Universal%20Health%20Coverage%20June%2012%202019.pdf
14. Ko Chin, Kathy. “Reproductive Healthcare Remains a Right without Access.” Medium. Medium, January 24, 2017. https://medium.com/@APIAHF/reproductive-healthcare-remains-a-right-without-access-1bf2fc66ee1f.
15. Abbas, Amina. “Battle over Women’s Health Arrives at the Supreme Court.” APIAHF. March 2, 2016. https://medium.com/@APIAHF/battle-over-women-s-health-arrives-at-the-supreme-court-ed0e9035bc5f
16. “APIAHF Testimony on Ways and Means Hearing Entitled Pathways to Universal Health Coverage.” APIAHF. June 12, 2019. https://waysandmeans.house.gov/sites/democrats.waysandmeans.house.gov/files/documents/APIAHF%20Testimony%20on%20Ways%20and%20Means%20Hearing%20Entitled%20Pathways%20to%20Universal%20Health%20Coverage%20June%2012%202019.pdf
17. ^[1]  APIAHF, Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax (Form 990), 2018, Part 1 and Schedule C Part II-a Line 1c https://pdf.guidestar.org/PDF_Images/2019/943/030/2019-943030866-202011819349302071-9.pdf?_gl=1*3nlma8*_ga*MTYxMzUxMjM0LjE2NTQ5NTM5NTc.*_ga_5W8PXYYGBX*MTY1NDk1Mzk1Ni4xLjEuMTY1NDk1NTQwNi40MQ..&_ga=2.65093038.1251238881.1654953958-161351234.1654953957