Biden Administration Devotes $785 Million to Reducing Health Inequities in Communities Hard Hit by COVID-19
- November 12, 2021
The Biden administration is investing an additional $785 million in American Rescue Plan funding as part of its ongoing efforts to address health care inequities in communities hard hit by the COVID-19 pandemic.
The funding will be devoted to building vaccine confidence across communities of color, rural areas, and low-income populations; bolstering the efforts of Tribal communities in mitigating the spread of the virus; expanding public health systems’ ability to respond to the needs of people with disabilities and older adults who have been among the highest risk for infection or death from COVID-19; and continuing to build a more diverse and sustainable public health workforce, according to a White House fact sheet.
Specifically, the administration will provide nearly $240 million to expand the public health workforce; $210 million to build preparedness in Tribal communities and expand the public health workforce in the Indian Health Service and indigenous communities; $150 million to address the unique needs of individuals with disabilities and older adults; more than $140 million to support community-based organizations’ vaccine outreach in high-risk communities; and $35 million for improving diversity in the public health workforce.
The additional funding comes in response to recommendations of the COVID-19 Health Equity Task Force, which delivered November 10 its final report to the White House. The Biden administration has made equity in the COVID-19 response a priority.