United States of Care Releases “Advancing Health Equity Through Insurance Coverage: Examples From The States”

Washington, D.C. — Today, United States of Care, in partnership with Waxman Strategies, announced the release of Advancing Health Equity Through Insurance Coverage: Examples From The States, a report showcasing cutting-edge, actionable policies that states across the country have implemented to drive improvements in health equity through insurance coverage.

The report is a comprehensive look at approaches states can take to reduce disparities and advance health equity through Affordable Care Act (ACA) marketplaces, public options, and insurance plans more broadly. Regardless of whether states have already enacted reforms or if they are just getting started, all have room to grow their efforts.

USofCare Director of Policy Solutions Liz Hagan said, “People’s ability to access the care they need, in a way that respects their culture and experiences, is critical to improving health outcomes. With millions of enrollees nationwide, health plans have a role to play in advancing health equity, and this first-of-its-kind report lays out how state policymakers have taken action to ensure those insurers do just that.”

Hagan continued, “With recent successes in both blue and red states across the country, lawmakers have great examples to learn from when crafting policies. In addition to developing approaches to lower costs, states have enacted innovative policies that will help lift up those who the health insurance system has so often left behind.”

The report includes policy options to broaden people’s access to diverse providers, improve providers’ cultural responsiveness, expand access to safety net providers, improve data collection, and address bias throughout the system, among many other issues that affect health equity for enrollees. Paired with the report is a companion piece, A State Checklist for Advancing Equity Through Health Coverage, which summarizes the report’s findings and presents recommendations for states to consider to ensure disparities are being addressed by health plans in exchanges, public options, and more broadly.

States should adopt the policies in this report to address health disparities, adapting the approaches to serve their states’ unique needs, populations, and insurance markets. State lawmakers should advocate for the policies that reduce inequities and build toward care that’s affordable and personalized, coverage they can depend on, and a system they can understand — the four goals that people nationwide tell us are the right ones to pursue in order to improve America’s health care.

USofCare sincerely thanks Waxman Strategies for their close partnership in creating Advancing Health Equity Through Insurance Coverage: Examples From The States and Arnold Ventures for their support.

About United States of Care
United States of Care is a nonpartisan organization committed to ensuring that everyone has access to quality, affordable health care.