Health Care Access and Coverage Policy Action Center

Everyone deserves the chance to live a longer, healthier life.

Getting the healthcare you need shouldn’t depend on your income, your job or where you live. But today, too many people face barriers to getting care because health insurance coverage can be unaffordable, difficult to navigate, or simply out of reach.

Access to care is about more than having insurance. It means being able to see a doctor when you need to, afford your medications and manage conditions like heart disease and stroke.

What is access to healthcare?

Access to healthcare means having the ability to get the services you need – from preventive care to treatment – without barriers related to cost, coverage or availability.

When people don’t have access to affordable, reliable healthcare:

They delay or skip care
Chronic conditions go unmanaged
Health risks increase
Families face greater financial stress

This helps explain why gaps in health insurance coverage lead to worse health outcomes and inequitable health across communities.

Why access to healthcare is a challenge

The challenge isn’t just individual choices — it’s how our systems are designed.

Right now:

Health insurance coverage options can be confusing or hard to access
Costs can be too high, even for people who are insured
Policy decisions can limit who qualifies for coverage and what care is available

As a result, millions of people go without the care they need to stay healthy.

How healthcare policy improves access to care

The good news: healthcare policies can expand access to care and save lives.

When we:

Expand access to affordable health insurance coverage
Strengthen programs like Medicaid and Medicare
Ensure preventive services are available and affordable
Protect coverage through marketplaces and employer plans

…more people can get the healthcare they need, when they need it.

Take action to improve access to healthcare

Heart Powered is the American Heart Association’s grassroots network, bringing people together to advocate for policies that improve healthcare access and create healthier lives for everyone, everywhere.

When you speak up, decisionmakers listen. When people take action together, policies change, and more families get the care they need.

👉 Join Heart Powered and take action today on healthcare access today.
Be part of the movement to protect coverage and improve health for all.

Ways you can get involved

Take the pledge: Support access to healthcare for all.

Getting the healthcare you need shouldn’t depend on your income, job, or where you live. Yet too many people struggle because coverage is unaffordable, confusing, or out of reach. True access to care means more than having health insurance: it means being able to see a doctor, afford medications, and manage conditions like heart disease and stroke when it matters most.

Real change happens when people speak up. You can be part of the change, take the pledge here.

Take the Pledge

Share Your Story. Your story can help improve access to healthcare.

For many people, gaps in health insurance coverage or high costs make it harder to get care, and those challenges aren’t always visible in the data.

That’s where your story makes an impact. Personal experiences help show how the system really works because they connect policies to the people they affect. Learn how your voice makes a difference here.

Share Your Story

Healthcare Access and Coverage: How policy shapes our health.

Healthcare access means more than having insurance. It means being able to see a doctor, afford medications, and manage conditions including heart disease and stroke. Access to healthcare shapes health outcomes for individuals, families and communities. The healthcare system can be difficult to navigate, and coverage isn’t always consistent or affordable. Read more on our blog about healthcare access and coverage, how coverage improves access to care, the kinds of healthcare coverage and how policy impacts access to coverage.

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Aqualyn Kennedy knows how quickly life can change—and how long the consequences can last. At just 18 years old, during her freshman year of college, she survived a stroke that temporarily took away her ability to speak. Doctors saved her life with an eight-hour open-heart surgery, implanting a mechanical heart valve and keeping her hospitalized for weeks. As she recovered, her family carried two fears at once: Would she heal – and how would they afford the care that saved her life?

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Advocate Spotlight: Yolanda Dickerson

My advocacy story started with my mother who encouraged all four of her children to not let adversity stop their dreams and to help others along the way. I learned the power of resolve in the face of limitations from my brother Darrell; of working smarter (not harder) from my brother Rodney; and to stay focused on family from both my younger brother Willie and Cousin Charles. My daughter, Ilana, has taught me the benefits of (sometimes) being silly and enjoying the moment.

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