ACA & AANHPI Health with Dr. Howard Koh
Did you know? The Affordable Care Act (ACA) halved the AANHPI uninsured rate.
Why do I need to care today? 3 million Americans will lose coverage at the end of 2022 if expanded subsidies expire.
How do I learn more? Come to our Zoom webinar with Dr. Howard Koh, former Assistant Secretary of Health in the Obama administration, this Wednesday at 1:30pm ET/10:30am PT. Registration here: https://harvard.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_sPqUQkSuSRaZexrysZWdNQ
The ACA was signed into law in 2010. Dr. Koh will talk about some of the major benefits the law has brought in reducing the uninsured rate for AANHPI communities. Still, 30 million Americans remain uninsured today. The American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) passed in 2021 expanded subsidies to help patients buy health insurance on the ACA exchange. But, this critical support is due to expire at the end of 2022 unless Congress takes action. APAMSA will focus this webinar on understanding why the ACA is so important for our community and why we should be activated to fight for public policy that brings us closer to (and not further away from) universal healthcare coverage.
Psychiatry Bootcamp
Come join APAMSA on Thursday March 31st from 7PM-8PM EST (4PM-5PM PST) for our Psychiatry Bootcamp! Perfect preparation for a sub-I or intern year. Our residents will be covering all the high yield topics you will need to be successful, including safety and mental status assessment, agitation, acute dystonia, PRN medications, and capacity. Register at: https://bit.ly/3sNyB92
Psychiatry Bootcamp
Come join APAMSA on Thursday March 31st from 7PM-8PM EST (4PM-5PM PST) for our Psychiatry Bootcamp! Perfect preparation for a sub-I or intern year. Our residents will be covering all the high yield topics you will need to be successful, including safety and mental status assessment, agitation, acute dystonia, PRN medications, and capacity. Register at: https://bit.ly/3sNyB92
ACA 12 Years Later: Impact on AANHPI Communities
Twelve years ago on March 23, 2010, the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA) was signed into law by President Barack Obama. The expansive law included provisions such as an expansion of Medicaid eligibility and the introduction of a health insurance marketplace with federal subsidies to help low-income Americans afford health insurance. Since then, the uninsured rate among non-elderly adults has fallen nearly 40% from 17.8% in 2010 to 10.9% in 2019 according to analyses by the Kaiser Family Foundation.
During this weeklong celebration of the ACA hosted by The White House and the Department of Health and Human Services, APAMSA highlights the impact of the ACA on the AANHPI communities. In a 2018 publication by John J. Park et al. in JAMA Internal Medicine, the authors found that the AANHPI uninsured rate fell by more than one half from 18.8% before the ACA to 9.0% by 2015-2016. In particular, the study examined differences by AANHPI subgroup. Korean Americans, who had the highest pre-ACA uninsured rate at 29.9%, saw their uninsured rate fall an adjusted 11.3 percentage points. Guamanian or Chamorro Americans saw a 14.3 percentage point adjusted reduction in their uninsured rate. In context, the ACA nearly eliminated the coverage gap between white and ANHPI Americans. Still, 7.4% of AANHPIs remained uninsured as of 2019 with uninsured rates for other race and ethnic groups as high as 20% for Hispanic Americans. Thus, the ACA may have significantly reduced the coverage gap, but it is clear that substantial work remains to achieve universal equitable health coverage for AANHPI communities and all Americans — a goal APAMSA remains steadfastly committed to realizing in our advocacy.
Hersh Gupta, South Asian Director
Network Director
Hi! My name is Hersh Gupta and I am a 1st Year MD/PhD student at Albert Einstein College of Medicine. Along with serving as the South Asian director for APAMSA, I also volunteer for educating predominantly Asian high school students on Hepatitis C and do research on studying genetic causes of disease in various populations. I went to undergraduate at Brown where I earned my degree in chemistry and computational biology. Afterwards, I spent 2 gap years at the Broad, studying cancer genomics. Outside of school, I enjoy cooking, exploring NYC, and exploring Netflix.
Daniel Jung, Social Media Co-Director
Network Director
Hey! I’m Daniel Jung and I’m an MS1 student at University of Missouri, Kansas City School of Medicine. I’m very interested in tech, so one of my interests as a medical student is getting exposure to the new technological innovations in medicine and networking with fellow peers who also find them fascinating! When I’m not busy with school, I like to do creative activities. I love listening to music (K-rnb and Jpop) and making music as well (Lofi, hip hop). I also like to create content! Connect with me at @Daniel.k.jung on instagram 🙂
John P. Lee, AANHPI Advocacy Director
Network Director
Hi there, I’m John P. Lee, a medical student at the Penn State College of Medicine. My current involvement with the Penn State College of Medicine includes being a student in the Global Health Scholars Program for the São Paulo, Brazil site and doing research in the fields of infectious diseases, neurosurgery, vascular surgery, and refugee healthcare. Beyond Penn State, I am the 2023 Asian Pacific American Medical Student Association (APAMSA) National Medical Education Director, and I am an officer in the US Navy Reserve as part of the Health Professions Scholarship Program.
Prior to medical school, I graduated with a B.S. in Biology and a B.S. in Biological Anthropology from Penn State University Park and then graduated with an M.S. in Anatomy from the Penn State College of Medicine. I spent four years as an Assistant Professor of Exercise Science at Lebanon Valley College where I taught general anatomy, functional musculoskeletal anatomy, human physiology, and exercise physiology. In my free time, I enjoy traveling, hiking, kayaking, skiing, reading, playing board games and card games, learning new languages, and cheering on the Indianapolis Colts!
Piueti Tu'ulelei Maka, Native Hawaiian & Pacific Islander Director
Network Director
Mālō e lelei! My name is Piueti Tu’ulelei Maka and I am a Tongan MD student at the John A. Burns School of Medicine in Hawai’i. Outside of school, a few of my leadership roles include my service as the Pasifikas in Medicine Vice President: Chair of Internal Affairs, Western Region National Association of Medical Minority Educators Student Ambassador, and ‘Imi Ho‘ola Post-Baccalaureate Program Student Ambassador. Before medical school, I obtained my B.A. Biology from Pepperdine University and worked various jobs that gave me extensive experience in medicine, fashion, and general labor. For research, I focus on Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) minority issues, especially as it relates to health, and also participate in various surgical subspecialty research. In my free time, I enjoy traveling, trying new restaurants, photography and videography, and spending time with my loved ones and cats!
Michael Nguyen, LGBTQIA+ Director
Network Director
Hi everyone! My name is Michael Nguyen and I am a third-year medical student at Sidney Kimmel Medical College at Thomas Jefferson University. I was born and raised in Philadelphia, PA, attended Stanford University for undergrad, and worked in tech for a few years before deciding to pivot into medical school. As a gay, first-generation medical student raised by Vietnamese refugees, I am deeply passionate about giving back to underserved communities and advocating for health equity and social justice. In my free time, I enjoy dancing (formerly on a hip-hop dance team), playing video games, and exploring new restaurants across Philly.
Kirsten Nguyen, Database Director
Network Director
Hello! I’m Kirsten Nguyen and I’m a current MS2 originally from Southern California. I went to Cal for undergrad where I majored in genetics and minored in education, and am now in Tennessee for medical school. I’m passionate about finding advocacy and identity groups wherever I go, and APAMSA has really helped with staying connected to my culture and community no matter how busy medical school gets. I love exploring new volunteering events, coffee shops to study at, group dinner ideas, music, and ways to be in the sun!