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Health Equity
Community Catalyst's vision of health equity is: "a society in which everyone has a fair opportunity to achieve their full health potential, regardless of the individual or population group's race, color, religion, national or ethnic origin, immigration status, class, age, disability, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, and gender expression." To advance our effort to support state advocates and their partners in advancing health equity, it's critical to capture the emerging strategies that national and state consumer health advocacy groups and community-based organizations have used to engage their various constituencies in shaping policy change to create a quality, equitable and affordable health system that improve health outcomes and responds to individual and community needs.
For more information on health equity at Community Catalyst, please contact:
Quynh Chi Nguyen Staff Lead, Health Equity Team
Email: qnguyen@communitycatalyst.org
- April 16, 2013 Greater Than the Sum: Using Integrated Care to Reduce Racial and Ethnic Disparities among Dual Eligibles This report discusses the dual eligible demonstration projects as an opportunity to address racial and ethnic health disparities among the dual eligible population.
- April 16, 2013 Greater Than the Sum: Using Integrated Care to Reduce Racial and Ethnic Disparities among Dual Eligibles Role for Consumers This guide explains how consumer advocates, particularly those from communities of color, can get involved in shaping these programs to advance health equity.
- March 05, 2013 Comments on Single Streamlined Applications for the Health Insurance Marketplace Community Catalyst’s comments on the PRA for CMS Form Numbers 10440 and 10438, the Single Streamlined Applications for the Health Insurance Marketplace, to ensure that all children and families, particularly those with mixed immigration statuses and limited English proficiency (LEP) are able to access the forms and the benefits of the Affordable Care Act (ACA).
- February 20, 2013 Advancing Health Reform by Inclusion: Engaging Communities of Color in Creating Policy Change The Affordable Care Act will directly impact communities of color by providing them with unique opportunities to gain health coverage and hopefully get quality care. Since the best change occurs when the communities most affected are involved, it is important that communities of color are engaged in creating policy change to advance health reform. Meaningful engagement goes beyond participation via grassroots organizing and outreach. It requires communities of color to have a more active role in each step of the policy implementation process. This report identifies emerging and effective practices state consumer health advocacy and community-based organizations use to engage communities of color to advance the ACA.
- March 08, 2012 Promoting Racial and Ethnic Health Equity Through Exchanges Health disparities among racial and ethnic groups are persistent and drive up the cost of care for everyone. Despite national and local efforts to address disparities, people of color continue to experience poorer health than their white counterparts. Health Insurance Exchanges provide paths to advance racial and ethnic health equity.
- October 31, 2011 Supplemental Comments on the Exchange Proposed Rule Regarding Health Equity These comments are focused on ways the Exchange can help address racial and ethnic health disparities.
- September 23, 2011 Comments on Community Health Needs Assessment Requirements for Tax-Exempt Hospitals Community Catalyst, along with 56 other organizations, submitted comments regarding the community health needs assessment for tax-exempt hospitals to the Internal Revenue Service
- August 02, 2011 Comments on Robust Health Collection and Reporting of Data Pertaining to Racial and Ethnic Health Equity Community Catalyst signed on to comments from The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights’ Health Care Task Force encouraging the Department of Health and Human Services' proposed standards for collection and reporting of data on race, ethnicity, sex, primary language, and disability status in population health surveys.
- July 27, 2011 Comments on Rules Relating to Internal Claims and Appeals and External Review Process for Group Health Plans Our recommendation focuses on the 10 percent threshold for translation and oral interpretation of private plan materials in internal reviews and appeals. Translation and interpretation of materials in the health insurance context is critical because almost 20 percent of the United States’ population speaks a language other than English at home.
- May 19, 2011 Applying for Community Transformation Grants This fact sheets answers basic questions about the Community Transformation Grants process and links to other resources.
- November 16, 2010 Community Transformation Grants Community transformation grants are the major provision in the Affordable Care Act designed to address the root causes of health disparities.
- September 01, 2010 Community Benefits: Protect Consumers and Strengthen Dialogue between Hospitals and Communities This brief outlines the ongoing importance of the safety net, and gives advocates steps to promote stronger standards for hospital community benefits programs to strengthen both consumer protections and relationships between hospitals and their communities.
- July 23, 2010 A Path Toward Health Equity: Strategies to Strengthen Community Advocacy Community Catalyst's report focuses on strengthening community-based health equity initiatives. The report identifies successes and challenges faced by organizations in six states doing health equity work.
- May 07, 2010 Health Equity Policy Options Achieving health equity will require a sustained effort using many policy and organizing strategies. This document provides advocates engagement ideas by outlining a range of interim goals and strategies, including some new opportunities resulting from national health care reform.
- March 24, 2010 Improving the Health of our Communities: Promote the Availability of Healthy Food in All Neighborhoods This brief outlines the reasons access to nutritious foods is critical to good health, and offers action steps to bring healthy food to all neighborhoods as well as successful examples.
- March 23, 2010 Promoting Cultural Awareness and Language Assistance Millions of Americans lack quality health care because they have trouble communicating with their providers. This brief outlines best practices, opportunties for advocates to strengthen cultural and linguistic competency, and examples of successful advocacy efforts.
- March 22, 2010 Protect and Target Federal Funding for Safety Net Hospitals Despite the historic national health care reform, millions of immigrants and other people will remain uninsured and will continue to rely on the safety net for their care. Advocates must ensure that Medicaid DSH funds for safety-net hospitals are actually serving the uninsured.
- March 22, 2010 Using Data to Track and Reduce Health Disparities in Medicaid This brief outlines opportunities for advocates to obtain and use data to address health disparities, along with action steps and examples.
- June 08, 2009 Health Disparities Policy Recommendations for Inclusion in National Health Care Reform We believe health care reform legislation must address health inequities. Communities of color and immigrant populations are disproportionately hurt by a lack of health insurance, high health care costs, poor quality treatment, service gaps and other barriers to care.
- April 01, 2002 The Color of Medicine: Strategies for Increasing Diversity in the U.S. Physician Workforce A report on diversity among physicians
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- Health Reform: Helping You Keep Your Costs Down This Center for American Progress handout offers a broad overview of the insurance coverage benefits the Affordable Care Act makes possible for consumers, including LGBT individuals and families. It explores the changes made possible by Obamacare as well as offers further resources to support transgender health care needs.
- Health Insurance Marketplaces This is a helpful Center for American Progress background fact sheet which broadly explains the Consumer Marketplaces (Exchanges) that states and the Federal government will operate to provide consumers with reputable and comprehensive insurance coverage. It suggests strategies to help ensure that these Marketplaces offer LGBT culturally competent services and enrollment support.
- Health Reform: Expanding Medicaid Access This resource offers a closer look at the benefits LGBT people can expect to access because of greater coverages the ACA affords Medicaid programs in states. The fact sheet includes information detailing who is eligible for Medicaid, the differences between Medicaid and Medicare, and why the states’ expansions of Medicaid would greatly benefit LGBT communities.
- Language Access Checklist For Marketplace Implementation This checklist, created by Families USA and NHeLP, provides recommendations, tools, and advocacy strategies to ensure that state health insurance marketplaces (aka exchanges) are accessible for persons with limited English proficiency (LEP).
- Equity in the Digital Age: How Health Information Technology Can Reduce Disparities This report discusses how communities of color could see significant improvements in their health through strategic use of emerging technologies in health care. The report was released by CPEHN, APIAHF, Consumers Union and NCLR at a White House Summit on Achieving eHealth Equity hosted by the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology, Office of Minority Health, and ZeroDivide.
- FAQ: Collecting Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity Data Health insurance exchanges will have the opportunity to collect sexual orientation and gender identity data through optional demographic questions on exchange application forms.
- FAQ: Health Insurance Needs for Transgender Americans Lacking insurance coverage for transition-related care is one of the obstacles that many transgender Americans face.
- 10 Reasons the Medicaid Expansion Helps to Address Health Disparities (2012) This National Health Law Program fact sheet contains ten brief reasons and explanations, with cited research, of why expanding Medicaid will directly address health disparities.
- Opportunities and Challenges in the Affordable Care Act for Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander Small Businesses The report provides policy recommendations to ensure that Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander small business owners to maximize their options under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.
- Making Obamacare Work for Your State – LGBT State Exchanges Project at the Center for American Progress This Center for American Progress handout explains that every state will have a unique process for establishing its exchange, meaning LGBT organizations can dramatically influence the inclusion of the LGBT community in their state’s exchange.
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- Immigration and Health Care Reform: Communications Tips Immigration reform affects many families throughout America. The current debate on this issue will reference health reform and use of health services. Herndon Alliance offers three important messaging lessons learned from national polls.
- Six Steps To Curb Disparities The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation national program Finding Answers developed a six-step framework to help people and organizations reduce disparities. Now available in a simple graphic that’s easy to distribute—or tack up above your desk—the Roadmap can help you fit reducing disparities into all health care quality improvement efforts.
- GEAR (Getting Equity Advocacy Results) Tracking equity advocacy is important, and does not need to be complex or daunting, even with the inevitable twists and turns of different efforts. PolicyLink developed GEAR, a new online suite of benchmarks, methods, and tools, to help advocates and organizers track the results of their equity campaigns.
- Improving Quality and Achieving Equity – A Guide for Hospital Leaders This Institute for Health Policy & Massachusetts General Hospital guide presents evidence of racial and ethnic disparities in health care and provides the rationale for addressing them, highlights model practices, and recommends a set of activities and resources that can help hospital leaders initiate an agenda for action in this area.
- THRIVE (Toolkit for Health & Resilience in Vulnerable Populations) – A Community Approach to Address Health Disparities This Office of Minority Health THRIVE toolkit helps communities bolster factors that will improve health outcomes and reduce disparities experienced by racial and ethnic minorities. It provides a framework for community members, coalitions, public health practitioners, and local decision-makers to identify factors associated with poor health outcomes in communities of color, engage relevant stakeholders, and take action to remedy the disparities.
- Promoting Health Equity – A Resource to Help Communities Address Social Determinants of Health This workbook from the CDC is for public health practitioners and partners interested in addressing social determinants of health to promote health and achieve health equity. This workbook was created to encourage and support the development of new and the expansion of existing, initiatives and partnerships to address the social determinants of health inequities.
- Health and Nutrition While Latinos are affected by a wide range of risk factors and diseases, nearly every health disparity they experience could be prevented or more effectively managed given timely access to health care. Unfortunately, a number of barriers—including a widespread lack of health insurance and an inadequate supply of language services—currently operate at multiple levels within the health care system to prevent Latinos from gaining access to quality care.
- Oral Health Disparities Collaborative Implementation Manual The manual explains how each element of the Care Model - Self Management, Decision Support, Clinical Information System, Delivery System Design, Organization of Health Care and Community - were applied to the improvement of perinatal oral health and the treatment and prevention of early childhood caries (ECC). It also includes information about improving dental practice efficiency and integrating dental into primary care, as well as tips and ideas for successfully implementing a planned and proactive approach for improving the oral health status of pregnant women and children 0-5 years of age.
- AT THE MARGINS OF CARE: The Need for Inclusive Health Care for Transgender & Gender Non-Conforming Latin@s In this fact sheet, the National Latina Institute for Reproductive Health (NLIRH) discusses challenges and barriers that Latin@ trans and gender non-conforming individuals face in accessing reproductive health care, and the need to expand our discourse around reproductive health to be more inclusive of diverse gender identities.
- Disparities in Health and Health Care: Five Key Questions and Answers This brief provides an introduction to health and health care disparities, not only for racial and ethnic groups but also for groups defined by other characteristics, such as socioeconomic status, geographic location, age, and language.
- The Top 10 Reasons Why People of Color Should Care About the Fiscal Showdown Our demographics are changing and communities of color are the fastest-growing group of Americans. It’s important that we invest now in these communities as they are our nation’s future workforce. The Center for American Progress identifies the top the top 10 reasons why it’s important that communities of color pay attention to the fiscal showdown and the impact that it will have in these communities.
- Disability-Based Health Disparities This fact sheet from Association of University Centers on Disabilities details how in spite of the startling evidence of health disparities among people with disabilities and the inherent costs to treat preventable conditions, current federal law does not consider individuals with disabilities a “medically underserved population.” The fact sheet calls on health reform to fix this injustice.
- Health Inequities in the Asian American Community This Asian American Justice Center fact sheet explains that access to effective health care is a critical goal for Asian Americans because of the serious health trends that have emerged in this population and that are out-of-step with the American population as a whole.
- Links Between Violence and Health Equity Violence and fear of violence are major factors that undermine health and worsen health disparities and this fact sheet from the Prevention Institute describes violence and lack of safety as a health equity issue.
- Health Disparities: The Basics While there are many things that can be done to reduce health disparities, this document from American Public Health Association includes three starting points to eliminate health disparities in the long term.
- Health Disparities and Inequalities Report Fact Sheet This CDC fact sheet proposes that the persistent health disparities must be addressed with dual strategies – both universal interventions available to everyone and targeted interventions for populations with special needs.
- Reducing Health Disparities with Improved Data Collection: New Refined Data Standards for Race, Ethnicity, Sex, Primary Language, and Disability Status After a systematic review and development process, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Minority Health has adopted new data standards for race, ethnicity, sex, primary language and disability status. Identifying disparities and effectively targeting and monitoring efforts to reduce them has been limited by a lack of specificity, uniformity and quality in data collection and reporting procedures.
- The State of Urban Health: Eliminating Health Disparities to Save Lives and Cut Costs In this report, National Urban League Policy Institute presents estimates of the economic burden health disparities impose on society through health care spending and workers’ lost productivity, and identifies regions of the country and stakeholders for whom the economic burden of health disparities is most felt. The report concludes with a review of strategies to address health disparities, a list of practical opportunities for the National Urban League and the nearly 100 Urban League affiliates across the country to support this national agenda, and a set of policy recommendations that will help to eliminate health disparities and realize the promise of the Affordable Care Act.
- The Promise and Peril of Accountable Care for Vulnerable Populations: A Framework for Overcoming Obstacles This report from Commonwealth Fund & Health Affairs finds that new financing strategies, performance measurement techniques, and technical assistance programs will be essential to ensuring that all populations are able to benefit from Accountable Care organizations.
- Disparities in Oral Health and Access to Care - Findings of National Surveys This survey from Healthy Child UCLA finds disparities in oral health status and access to dental care are also evident when comparing black, Hispanic, and Native American children to white children and when comparing children of parents with low educational attainment to children of parents with higher educational attainment.
- Community Health Centers Leveraging the Social Determinants of Health Supported This report from Institute for Alternative Futures introduces social determinants of health (SDH) efforts in the context of an increasing focus on the social determinants in federal health policy, academic research, and emerging care models. It concludes with recommendations developed at a national workshop of CHC leaders and other experts to expand and enhance these efforts.
- Policy Brief: Achieving Equity in Health (2011) This Health Affairs article contends that racial and ethnic minorities face worse health and health care disparities—but some interventions have made a difference.
- National Healthcare Disparities Report (2011) The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality has integrated findings from the 2011 NHQR and NHDR to produce a single summary chapter that is intended to reinforce the need to consider simultaneously the quality of health care and disparities across populations when assessing our health care system.
- Health Disparities and Inequalities Report (2011) This CDC website includes the 2011 report, executive summary, fact sheets, presentation, and other materials around the 2011 CDC Report on persistent health disparities in the United States and the dual strategy to address the problem.
- Disparities This HealthyPeople.gov fact sheet explains that although the term “disparities” often is interpreted to mean racial or ethnic disparities, many dimensions of disparity exist in the United States, particularly in health. Healthy People 2020 strives to improve the health of all groups.
- Social Determinants of Health Healthy People 2020 highlights the importance of addressing the social determinants of health. The Social Determinants of Health topic area within Healthy People 2020 is designed to identify ways to create social and physical environments that promote good health for all.
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- Striving for Health Equity: Opportunities as Identified by Leaders in the Field This report from Grantmakers in Health outlines strategic solutions and recommendations for funders conducting disparities-related work.
- Trained Interpreters For Patients With Limited English Can Help Avoid Medical Mishaps This Kaiser Health New feature explores how for the 25 million people in the United States with limited English proficiency, during hospitals visits, the potential for medical mishaps is multiplied.
- Building Coalitions Among Communities of Color - A Multicultural Approach This guide from The Office of Minority Health presents ten coalition building strategies and their corresponding steps. The reader will find illustrations of how strategies and steps are understood and applied throughout the document.