Access to care is not as simple as obtaining an insurance card. Some people find access to care is limited by geography or distance, others are limited by their native language or cultural awareness. In other ways, care can be limited by who is in the insurance network. All of these inequities can cause gaps in care that undermine health outcomes. In a system that is increasingly paying for outcomes, elimination of inequities is a matter of financial performance, as well as a sign of clinical excellence. Finding and reducing inequities in access to care requires an operational commitment to change workflows, leverage technology, and train staff at all levels to align incentives and culture.
Providing equitable access to care is subject to ever-changing policy and regulatory requirements, and it is increasingly tied to funding, work force staffing and many other operational requirements. This topic will thread through several discussions and panels during the 2023 HMA fall conference with federal policy leaders, health system administrators, and other industry leaders all poised to address the pain points of achieving and maintaining equitable access.
Key sessions (full agenda here):
- Leading the Charge on Value, Equity and Growth: The Future of Publicly Sponsored Health Care – A discussion on how these public programs came to be the industry standard bearers and what this shift means for outcomes, affordability, policy, and the overall direction of U.S. health care. (Monday 8:30am keynote by Alan Weil)
- Understanding and Meeting New Health-Related Social Needs Requirements – An environmental overview, including a look at what’s driving these demands and how organizations are specifically working to address the new mandates. (Monday 1:30pm breakout session featuring Bryan Buckley of NCQA, Richard Ayoub of Project Angel Food, and Paul Leon of National Healthcare & Housing Advisors)
- Practical Approaches to Ensuring Equity in Publicly Sponsored Healthcare Programs – This session will provide practical approaches to addressing equity, including an overview of efforts by policymakers, health plans, and providers to make equity the central component of all initiatives to improve healthcare outcomes, access, and health-related social needs. (Tuesday 8:30am keynote by Karen Dale of Amerihealth Caritas)
- Medicaid in a Post-Pandemic World: Challenges, Opportunities, and a Renewed Focus on Equity – State Medicaid directors will provide a status report on all this and more, including a special emphasis on how equity plays into planning and policy decisions. (Tuesday 9:15am plenary featuring Jacey Cooper of the California Department of Health Care Services, Kelly Cunningham of the Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services, Drew Snyder of the Mississippi Division of Medicaid, and Stacie Weeks of the Nevada Department of Health and Human Services)
HMA consultants and our speakers look forward to engaging with participants as they delve into these topics to gain a better understanding of the gains we are making as industry leaders and where we still need to innovate.
To learn more about our Equity work, please contact Leticia Reyes-Nash; to learn more about our Managed Care work, please contact Michael Engelhard or Patrick Tigue.
