CMS Releases Action Plan for Advancing Health Equity
- April 22, 2022
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) outlined this week its strategy for improving health equity and addressing systemic inequities in the delivery of care.
In addition to the central role health equity will play across the agency’s programs, other action items include closing gaps in health care access, quality, and outcomes for underserved populations; promoting culturally and linguistically appropriate services; examining policies to determine how CMS can support safety net providers caring for underserved communities; and promoting broader access to health-related social needs.
CMS also will call on industry stakeholders, including health care facilities, insurance companies, providers, and states, to commit to advancing health equity and to sharing best practices for addressing system inequities.
“Advancing health equity is the core work of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. We can’t achieve our health system goals until everyone can attain the highest level of health. That’s why I am inviting the health care industry to work alongside CMS as we transform the way patients are cared for in our country,” said CMS Administrator Chiquita Brooks-LaSure. “Health equity will be embedded within the DNA of CMS and serve as the lens through which we view all of our work. Our vision is clear and our goal is straightforward—we will not stop until every person has a fair and just opportunity to attain their optimal health.”