States on the Frontlines of Health Care Cost Reform (discussion with State Health Secretaries)

More than four decades ago, the landmark Heckler Report helped establish federal recognition of racial and ethnic health disparities and laid the foundation for the field of minority health. Yet the report notably excluded Asian Americans from the populations identified as facing significant health challenges—reinforcing the myth that AANHPI communities are uniformly healthy and obscuring important disparities. This panel will examine the Heckler Report’s legacy—both its transformative impact and its critical omissions—and explore how those early decisions continue to shape health research, data collection, and policy today. Panelists will discuss progress in advancing data disaggregation and visibility for AANHPI communities, as well as the work that remains to ensure equitable representation in health systems, research, and policymaking.