Health Empowerment on the Hill: Choose Healthy Life’s Three Pillars for Legislative Action

01 Dec Health Empowerment on the Hill: Choose Healthy Life’s Three Pillars for Legislative Action

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Choose Healthy Life (CHL) recently hosted its impactful Capitol Hill Day, uniting faith leaders, health experts, and policymakers to advocate for critical legislative solutions focused on community empowerment. The organization has just released a new video highlighting the powerful work from the day, capturing the momentum behind its movement. To truly empower communities to take control of their health, the message from the Hill is clear: Congress must act decisively on three key policy priorities.



Here is a breakdown of the three legislative acts CHL is championing to improve health access and outcomes in underserved communities:

    1. Pass the Health Access Innovation Act (HAIA)

The Health Access Innovation Act (HAIA) is a direct investment in the hands of organizations that people already know and trust: faith- and community-based organizations (CBOs).

CHL’s model—utilizing the Black Church as a trusted anchor for health services—is a prime example of the effectiveness of local, community-led care. The HAIA would establish a new grant program to provide federal funding for CBOs to:

  • Expand access to culturally and linguistically appropriate care.
  • Cover the costs of necessary services like health screenings and preventive care.
  • Support vital personnel, such as community health navigators and peer support specialists, who connect individuals to life-saving care.

This legislation is a transformative step to ensure care reaches working families regardless of their ZIP code or bank account.

    1. Pass 340B Drug Pricing Program Reforms 

CHL and its coalition partners are urging Congress to pass comprehensive reforms to restore the integrity of the 340B Drug Pricing Program.

The program was designed to help low-income and uninsured patients afford medications, but it has become a source of unchecked profit for large, well-resourced hospital systems and Pharmacy Benefit Managers (PBMs). The lack of guardrails means billions in drug discounts are not guaranteed to reach the patients who need them, fueling health disparities.

CHL’s advocacy demands that the program be fixed with mandatory transparency and accountability measures to ensure that drug discounts translate directly into lower costs and expanded services for vulnerable populations.

    1. Expand Coverage for Anti-Obesity Medications (AOMs) via the Treat and Reduce Obesity Act (TROA) 

Obesity is a complex, chronic disease that significantly contributes to health disparities and associated conditions like heart disease and diabetes, which disproportionately affect Black and Latino communities.

The Treat and Reduce Obesity Act (TROA) seeks to modernize Medicare policy by:

  • Allowing Medicare Part D to cover FDA-approved anti-obesity medications (AOMs). Current law prohibits coverage for these life-saving treatments.
  • Expanding access to Intensive Behavioral Therapy (IBT) by allowing a broader range of qualified health professionals, such as registered dietitians and clinical psychologists, to provide treatment, not just primary care physicians.

Passing TROA is critical to ensure that older adults and Medicare beneficiaries—many of whom are disproportionately affected by obesity—can access the full spectrum of evidence-based treatments and behavioral support they need to live healthier, longer lives.