Shape the Future
ACHA's Advocacy Coalition continually identifies advocacy issues that are important to those in the college health field and provides members with up-to-date information concerning relevant public policy issues affecting college health. The advocacy work performed by ACHA is vital to the state of the college health field, and members enjoy the benefits of having a nationally recognized association take on the issues that are important to them.
Current Advocacy Hot Topics
> "Young Invincible" Health Insurance Policy Option
> Public Health Service Act to improve mental and behavioral health services on college campuses
ACHA Advocacy Priority Areas
The following are topics that ACHA originally developed as a "watch list" of key advocacy issues for the association at the national level. If you have suggestions or input regarding these or other advocacy issues, please contact the chair of the ACHA Advocacy Coalition.
- Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) and Health Insurance Portability & Accountability Act (HIPAA)
- with sensitivity to any changes that might intrude on confidentiality of patient care information
- with sensitivity to how patient information is passed electronically and assuring privacy of patient information
- with sensitivity as to how these two legislative acts present contradictions in the degree of privacy assurance afforded to different sub-populations receiving campus health care, and the complexity for student health centers in implementing and complying with both standards
- Any legislation, regulation, or policy development related to college students' access to health insurance
- with sensitivity to the Mental Health Parity Act (MHPA) and developments that might further assure students' access to mental health care coverage
- Any legislation, regulation, or policy development dealing with college students' use or access to tobacco products, alcohol, and/or other drugs
- Any legislation, regulation, or policy development dealing with or affecting the funding and training of health care professionals
- Any legislation, regulation, or policy development dealing with college students' access to reproductive health care and education
- Any legislation, regulation, or policy development dealing with campus violence
- Any legislation, regulation, or policy development dealing with mandatory meningitis vaccination
- Any legislation, regulation, or policy development dealing with funding for research and outreach to decrease health disparities among diverse communities, including different races, ethnicities, and sexual orientations (such as in the area of HIV prevention)
- Any legislation, regulation, and policy development dealing with college students' access to mental health care and education (including, but not limited to issues such as eating disorders, depression, suicidal behavior, and bipolar disorder)
- Any legislation, regulation, and policy development dealing with nutrition and physical activity
