Health Equity Act

[somarco]

New "voluntary" program that will collaborate with states to curb health care cost growth; improve population health; and advance health equity by reducing disparities in health outcomes.

https://innovation.cms.gov/innovation-models/ahead

The term “equity” refers to fairness and justice and is distinguished from equality: Whereas equality means providing the same to all, equity means recognizing that we do not all start from the same place and must acknowledge and make adjustments to imbalances. The process is ongoing, requiring us to identify and overcome intentional and unintentional barriers arising from bias or systemic structures.

Equity is mentioned 21 times in this CMS memo.

Equity in health-care delivery can be defined as equal access to preventive, promotive, and curative health services to the whole population, irrespective of residence, gender, caste, economic strata, and other factors.

Does this mean that triage will now be based on giving everyone equal access to health care regardless of their medical condition?

Certainly curbing access to health care could result in lowering the cost of health care.

 

[Lee Vena]

Interesting to read what the model is intended to accomplish. This was copied directly from their site.

AHEAD is a state total cost of care (TCOC) model that seeks to drive state and regional health care transformation and multi-payer alignment, with the goal of improving the total health of a state population and lowering costs. Under a TCOC approach, a participating state uses its authority to assume responsibility for managing health care quality and costs across all payers, including Medicare, Medicaid, and private coverage.

 

[somarco]

Interesting to read what the model is intended to accomplish. This was copied directly from their site.

AHEAD is a state total cost of care (TCOC) model that seeks to drive state and regional health care transformation and multi-payer alignment, with the goal of improving the total health of a state population and lowering costs. Under a TCOC approach, a participating state uses its authority to assume responsibility for managing health care quality and costs across all payers, including Medicare, Medicaid, and private coverage.

Effectively swapping managed care from the carrier level to top down selection regarding who is ENTITLED to care based on their definition of equity.

This is much more far reaching than ACA which neither lowered the cost of care nor improved overall access to care. It also squeezed the middle income folks out of the health insurance market effectively creating a second tier Medicaid-like program run by carriers with oversight by CMS.

 

[kgmom219]

To me, equity is defined as getting us to equal outcomes for whatever color, gender or sexual orientation you have. (And if that wasn't PC, don't yell at me.)

"The CDC estimates that, in 2021, the maternal mortality rate among Black women was nearly 70 deaths for every 100,000 live births. That is 2.6 times the rate for white women, regardless of income or education."

Serena Williams gave birth and was screaming at the docs what to do as a pulmonary embolism threatened her life with birth #1. And its not like she was in some backwoods hospital with unlicensed midwives. This crap has to stop.

 

[Lee Vena]

To me, equity is defined as getting us to equal outcomes for whatever color, gender or sexual orientation you have. (And if that wasn't PC, don't yell at me.)

"The CDC estimates that, in 2021, the maternal mortality rate among Black women was nearly 70 deaths for every 100,000 live births. That is 2.6 times the rate for white women, regardless of income or education."

Serena Williams gave birth and was screaming at the docs what to do as a pulmonary embolism threatened her life with birth #1. And its not like she was in some backwoods hospital with unlicensed midwives. This crap has to stop.

I hear what you are saying, but I do not believe that is how "equity" is defined. The issue is centered around a discussion of equity vs equality. Equality means that all have the same opportunities and resources available regardless of who they are. Equity means giving someone more. Let me use an example. There is a 5 ft fence, I am 6'1, my wife is 5'6 and my daughter is 5'4. To look over the fence I do not need anything, but my wife will need to stand on a box 4 inches high while my daughter will need to stand on a box that is 6 inches high.

Now imagine how this will play out in society. And keep in mind, our societal goal is equality for all. I have access to good quality healthcare and I have the financial means, so I get nothing. My cousin does not has less access and less income, so we will give him money or free care? A very slippery slope.

 

[whatyouwantfinally]

Equity is socialism. Period. Equity in healthcare is one of the most un-American things you could dream up and must be opposed with rigor. We're talking about lives here.

Example; There were states with policies regarding monoclonal antibodies for Covid treatment. Candidate eligibility was based on a scoring system where, essentially, everyone who wasn't white starts with a point. Blatantly racist policy and entirely un-American. And, you know, illegal.

It's not "fairness." It's not "justice." It's the opposite. Enough.

 

[straightnochaser]

Equity is socialism. Period. Equity in healthcare is one of the most un-American things you could dream up and must be opposed with rigor. We're talking about lives here.

Example; There were states with policies regarding monoclonal antibodies for Covid treatment. Candidate eligibility was based on a scoring system where, essentially, everyone who wasn't white starts with a point. Blatantly racist policy and entirely un-American. And, you know, illegal.

It's not "fairness." It's not "justice." It's the opposite. Enough.

LOL

 

[whatyouwantfinally]

LOL

What's funny about it?

 

[straightnochaser]

What's funny about it?

Literally everything

 

[whatyouwantfinally]

Literally everything

Making decisions about life-saving treatments based on race is funny?