Readout of HHS Secretary Becerra’s Roundtable with National Black Leaders Commemorating Black History Month

Secretary Becerra reiterated HHS’s commitment to continued partnerships to improve health outcomes in the Black community. On Wednesday, February 14, 2024, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Xavier Becerra met with leaders from national Black civil rights, faith-based, and health organizations to discuss efforts to improve health and human services outcomes in the Black community and further advance health equity. This meeting builds upon a series of conversations and engagements between Black community leaders and HHS. During the roundtable, Secretary Becerra highlighted the important work being done by the Biden-Harris Administration to improve access to health care, lower health care costs, increase behavioral health investments, address environmental health hazards, strengthen supports for children and families, and further connect organizations to available HHS resources. Secretary Becerra expressed his appreciation to the Black leaders at the roundtable and reiterated that HHS will continue to work closely with them to address shared priorities. HHS has undertaken several noteworthy initiatives to improve health and human services outcomes for the Black community as part of the Biden Harris Administration’s Bipartisan Unity Agenda. These include reducing the cost of prescription drugs through the Inflation Reduction Act, increasing health coverage for Black Americans through...