CAP works to strengthen public health systems, respond to COVID-19 in equitable and sustainable ways, and improve health care coverage, access and affordability.
A pop-up COVID-19 vaccination clinic is seen in California. (Getty/Al Seib/Los Angeles Times)
Vaccination is key to ending the COVID-19 pandemic and avoiding preventable illness, death, and economic loss. We promote equitable vaccine policy and leveraging governmental and employers’ power to promote vaccination and pandemic recovery.
Strengthening public health infrastructure
The COVID-19 pandemic has further exposed inequities and existing weaknesses in the United States’ public health infrastructure. We’re focused on improving health equity by investing in public health, addressing social and economic factors that affect health, and preparing for future health threats.
Improving access to affordable health coverage
We’re dedicated to bolstering affordable, high-quality health coverage options. By building on the Affordable Care Act, closing the Medicaid coverage gap, and innovating progressive solutions, we envision a world in which everyone can access care.
Lowering health care prices and consumer costs
Health care affordability is a top consumer concern, and prices for health care and prescription drugs are inaccessibly high for many. One of our key priorities is improving America’s health by lowering costs to ensure all people can afford to manage their health.
By the Numbers
1.9
Life expectancy fell by 1.9 years in the pandemic—8.5 times more than peer countries.
Woolf, “Effect of the covid-19 pandemic in 2020 on life expectancy across populations” (2021).
2x
The U.S. spends 2 times more as peer countries on health, with 8% lower life expectancy.
Marquisha Johns and Nicole Rapfogel explain why the water crisis in Jackson, Mississippi, was the result of long-standing disinvestment, environmental injustice, and health inequities—and they urge state lawmakers to direct funds from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act toward the communities that need them most.
Recover, Rebuild, Reform: Stories of Americans Affected by the American Rescue Plan, the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, and the Inflation Reduction Act
This CAP Action collection features stories from people in Arizona, Georgia, Nevada, and New Hampshire whose lives have been improved by the legislation passed during the Biden administration’s first two years.
Please join the Center for American Progress for a multipanel discussion with OMB Director Shalanda Young, one of the key officials responsible for implementing the IRA, and everyday Americans about the Inflation Reduction Act and what it will mean for the United States and the American people.
While monkeypox is less contagious than COVID-19 and largely preventable through vaccination, the outbreak has highlighted that the U.S. public health system remains underprepared for crises.
Advancing Health Care Nondiscrimination Protections for LGBTQI+ Communities
New data reveal that LGBTQI+ communities encounter discrimination and other challenges when interacting with health care providers and health insurers, underscoring the importance of strengthening nondiscrimination protections through Section 1557 of the Affordable Care Act.
The Health Care Consequences of Extreme Heat Are Just the Tip of the Iceberg
Costly, heat-related emergency department visits and hospitalizations are rising as the climate warms, reflecting only a small portion of extreme heat-related consequences.
