Clinton Signs Bill Boosting Minority Health Research
President Bill Clinton signed the Health Care Fairness Act (S. 1880) into law on Nov. 22, Reuters/Washington Post reports. The legislation calls for more than $150 million to create a National Center for Research on Minority Health and Health Disparities at the National Institutes of Health, and will help fund increased medical training for minorities.
Pointing out that African American men have higher cancer rates, Hispanics and Native Americans higher diabetes rates and Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders higher liver cancer rates than the overall population, Clinton called the new law "a major contribution toward eliminating [race-based health] disparities by 2010." He said reaching that goal "must be pursued with the same rigor with which we have worked towards eliminating barriers to basic civil rights" (Reuters/Washington Post, 11/23). The House passed the bill on Oct. 31 (
California Healthline, 11/1).