Health Affairs June 29, 2023
Efforts to advance health equity are a recognition that there is significant opportunity to improve health outcomes for traditionally underserved populations. Academic research continues to offer deeper understanding of the gaps in quality, access and outcomes that suggest there is much room for improvement. Policymakers have also made recent efforts to advance health equity using levers available to large, influential purchasers. The Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation (CMMI) through the ACO REACH (Realizing Equity, Access and Community Health) demonstration will include some health equity measures, including person-level demographic data and a quality bonus for submission, as well as having a patient advocate on every board. Similarly, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services recently finalized provisions that will require...