Health Access Innovation Act of 2025
Summary
The Health Access Innovation Act of 2025 aims to improve health equity by authorizing the Secretary of Health and Human Services to award grants to faith- and community-based organizations. These grants will support initiatives that address health inequities and chronic disease challenges in medically underserved communities and health professional shortage areas. The Act allocates specific funding levels from 2026 to 2030, with a cap on administrative costs.
Expected Effects
The Act will likely expand access to culturally and linguistically appropriate healthcare services. It will also support community health workers and other healthcare professionals in underserved areas. This could lead to improved health outcomes and reduced health disparities.
Potential Benefits
- Increased access to healthcare services in medically underserved communities.
- Support for community health workers and other healthcare professionals.
- Culturally and linguistically appropriate care.
- Innovation in addressing health inequities.
- Targeted funding for chronic disease challenges.
Potential Disadvantages
- Potential for administrative overhead to reduce the impact of direct services.
- Reliance on faith-based organizations may raise concerns about separation of church and state for some.
- Limited scope, focusing primarily on specific types of organizations.
- The effectiveness of the program depends on the ability of the selected organizations to successfully implement the initiatives.
- Funding may not be sufficient to address all the health inequities.
Constitutional Alignment
The Act appears to align with the Constitution's general welfare clause (Preamble). It could potentially raise concerns under the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment if grants to faith-based organizations are not implemented with sufficient safeguards to ensure non-discrimination and secular purpose. The Act does not appear to infringe on any other specific constitutional provisions.
Impact Assessment: Things You Care About ⓘ
This action has been evaluated across 19 key areas that matter to you. Scores range from 1 (highly disadvantageous) to 5 (highly beneficial).