This week, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released a new plan to address health care disparities in the Medicare program. Over the next four years, the plan aims to improve health equity through six action steps for people who “experience disproportionately high burdens of disease, lower quality of care, and barriers accessing care.” The six steps, or priorities, include:
- Priority 1: Expand the Collection, Reporting, and Analysis of Standardized Data
- Priority 2: Evaluate Disparities Impacts and Integrate Equity Solutions Across CMS Programs
- Priority 3: Develop and Disseminate Promising Approaches to Reduce Health Disparities
- Priority 4: Increase the Ability of the Health Care Workforce to Meet the Needs of Vulnerable Populations
- Priority 5: Improve Communication and Language Access for Individuals with Limited English Proficiency and Persons with Disabilities
- Priority 6: Increase Physical Accessibility of Health Care Facilities
According to Cara James, Director of the CMS office of Minority Health, “Making sure care is equitable is often the forgotten core area of focus for ensuring that the health system is meeting patient needs and delivering high quality care. The CMS Equity Plan for Medicare will help to ensure that as we work towards better care, smarter spending, and healthier people we also continue to work to achieve health equity in Medicare.”