How Far Have We Come in Reducing Health Disparities? Progress Since 2000: Workshop Summary (2012) / Chapter Skim
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7 Legislative Actions to Reduce Health Disparities
7 Legislative Actions to Reduce Health Disparities
Pages 85-92
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From page 85... ...
His legislative portfolio includes public health, prevention, preparedness, and health disparities. Noting that Senator Tom Harkin refers to the ACA as a "starter home" for providing health care to all Americans, Martinez acknowledged that much work remains to be done to address health disparities.
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From page 86... ...
Improving Quality of Health Care Services The creation of quality measures that assess both health care provision and health outcomes is the fourth piece of the ACA relevant to achieving reductions in health disparities. It is not enough, Martinez said, to have health insurance and access to care in communities of color.
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From page 87... ...
Data collection efforts should be coordinated across agencies so that a clearer picture of what is occurring in communities of color can be obtained. Federal Minority Health Agencies A number of actions relating to the elevation of federal agencies focusing on minority health are a part of the ACA, including elevation of the Office of Minority Health within HHS to the HHS secretary's office.
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From page 88... ...
Because the populations served by these programs are similar, it makes sense for data collection requirements to be more uniform. Whitener stated that the Medicaid program typically receives much less attention than the Medicare program.
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From page 89... ...
As Martinez mentioned, 32 million people currently without health insurance will have health care coverage, and 14 million of those will have coverage through Medicaid. Those 14 million people have incomes less than 133 percent of the federal poverty rate.
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From page 90... ...
Each island has very few physicians, no oncologists, no access to podiatric services, and very limited health care access compared with the availability of physicians and access on the mainland. Funding for Community Health Centers The reconciliation bill increased funding for Community Health Centers (CHCs)
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From page 91... ...
Craig Martinez said that the overall goal of the workforce commission outlined in the legislation is to provide to Congress and HHS comprehensive, unbiased information on how to better align federal health care resources with national needs. Its purpose is to assess what the workforce looks like today, what the workforce needs are, what needs are unmet, and what must occur to further develop this workforce.
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From page 92... ...
Bernardette Arellano added that allowing federal agencies some flexibility allows for creativity, but it also means that Congress must give up some control. Under a friendly administration, much can be done to work in the interest of low-income people.
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