APHA Supports Adequate Living Wage for Americans to Ensure Access to Invaluable Medical Services

Washington, D.C., July 5, 2006 – “The American Public Health Association (APHA) today encourages Congress to establish an adequate living wage to protect the access of Americans to invaluable health care services. Nearly a decade has passed since the last increase in the nation’s minimum wage to $5.15 an hour, and APHA urges Congress to further raise the wages of Americans as part of the fiscal year 2006 Labor-HHS-Education appropriations bill to provide the income necessary to protect the well-being of our nation’s men, women and children. Low income is directly linked with poor health conditions of Americans, and socioeconomic factors in childhood have been shown to predict the health status of adults. Lower incomes could lead to adverse health outcomes, such as cardiovascular disease, cirrhosis, substance abuse and depression.

“APHA also recognizes the impact that household income has on children’s access to health care, including boys and girls who are uninsured and underinsured. Most poor children live in families with at least one working parent, and it is essential that we ensure primary health services for our most vulnerable residents. Inadequate wages threaten to compromise the health of the public, and APHA supports a reasonable increase in the federal minimum wage to shield Americans from the risk of chronic and infectious diseases and illnesses.”