Congressman Brown: Promoting Equity In Our Health Care System Must Be A Priority

Press Release

Congressman Anthony G. Brown (MD-04) released the following statement on the enrollment of the Maryland Health Equity Resource Act, HB-463, which became law without Governor Hogan's signature:

"The COVID-19 pandemic has laid bare the enormous work still ahead of us to close longstanding health disparities in Black, brown, and low-income communities. After Governor Hogan allowed the successful Health Enterprise Zones initiative to expire, Democrats in Maryland and across our country must once again make addressing disparities a top priority.

"Targeted programs like this initiative are efficient and can drastically improve health outcomes in minority and underserved communities. By increasing access to care we can lower healthcare costs and hospitalizations. Through innovative approaches, we can address complex socio-economic issues in underserved areas and replicate the positive results of the original Health Enterprise Zones initiative in our state.

"Justice and equity must extend throughout our communities -- including our health care system. Prioritizing health equity must be a permanent, long-term part of our strategy to improve care and health outcomes in our state. We must ensure that we are setting our most vulnerable communities up for success by providing the tailored care and attention they need."

The legislation would create a program modeled on the successful Health Enterprise Zones initiative championed by then Lieutenant Governor Brown. The initiative was allowed to expire under Governor Hogan. In Congress, Congressman Brown has introduced the Health Enterprise Zones Act which would create a nationwide initiative to tackle health disparities in underserved communities.

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