Overview
Despite ongoing systems innovations, more must be done to address inequity as one of the most critical problems in the US health care system. The goal of this program is to create insights and evidence about how payment, care delivery, and other systems factors can serve as tools to improve health equity. Read on the learn more about work in this program.
Health Equity & Value-Based Payment
In many situations, volume-based payment has helped fuel a wasteful US health care system, prompting public and private payers to shift toward value-based payment that incentivizes quality and cost-efficiency. But addressing health equity through payment will require an intentional approach, and more than existing value-based initiatives.
A range of stakeholders across health care signed an Open Letter as a call to raise awareness about health care payment and how it should be used to promote equity.
Interested in getting involved in this work?
Implications of COVID-driven Telehealth policy on racial equity
Washington implemented Medicaid telehealth policy changes in response to COVID-19. These changes are particularly salient for American Indian/Alaska Native (AIAN) and Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander (NHPI) populations, which have long suffered health inequity due to social determinants of health, such as poverty and language.
Washington is home to one of the largest AIAN and NHPI populations in America. COVID-19 has only exacerbated these disparities, with AI/AN and NHPI communities experiencing the highest death rates among all racial groups in the state. Problematically, little is known about how telehealth policies have impacted these communities.
This portfolio includes work to analyze telehealth use and disparities among AIAN and NHPI individuals insured through Medicaid, and engage individuals from these communities, community-based organizations, clinicians, and policymakers in disseminating findings.
Interested in getting involved in this work?
Health Equity Conversations: A PODcast
People and groups around the country are working to address equity through payment and other systems interventions. As a series of discussions, Health Equity Conversations seeks to highlight this work with the goal of sharing ideas and practices that can inspire others to support equity in their own contexts.
While it is critical to articulate principles for using payment and care delivery to promote equity, it is also important to highlight people and groups already doing so around the country.
Health Equity Conversations is a series that seeks to do that with the goal of sharing ideas and practices that can inspire others to support equity in their own contexts. The series is hosted everywhere were podcasts are available and can be access directly here.
Know someone who would be a good fit for the series?