Search
Policy Support

Racial Disparities

Health care disparities along racial and ethnic lines continue to plague the American health care system.  The infant mortality rate for African-Americans is nearly two and a half times great than for whites.  Diabetes disease rates are more than 30% higher among Native Americans and Hispanics than among whites. The members of the Association for Community Affiliated Plans (ACAP), all not-for-profit Medicaid-focused health plans have been involved in projects to both identify the disparities and address them for many years.  ACAP plans organize care for more than 3 million lives, or almost 50% of the 7 million Medicaid beneficiaries enrolled in Medicaid-focused health plans.   

ACAP was successful in including SNHPs in opportunities to address racial and ethnic health disparities.  Specifically, we worked with Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee staff to raise awareness of the unique position that SNHPs have in serving racial and ethnic minorities served by public health insurance programs.  As a result of these efforts, SNHPs are included in legislation addressing health disparities and are eligible to participate in the bill’s initiatives and have priority funding in a number of different areas.  This legislation is called the “Minority Health Improvement and Health Disparity Elimination Act” and has been introduced in the Senate (S.1576) and has 14 cosponsors.  A companion bill has also been introduced in the House of Representatives (H.R.3333) by Representative Jesse Jackson (D-IL) and has 58 cosponsors.

In addition to S.1576/H.R.3333, the House of Representatives “Tri-Caucus” (the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus, the Congressional Black Caucus, and the Congressional Hispanic Caucus) introduced their version of health disparities legislation in the House of Representatives.  ACAP has been talking with Representatives from the Tri-Caucus to discuss the role of SNHPs in addressing health disparities.

At this time, it does not appear that the House or the Senate have scheduled time to move health disparities legislation.  ACAP will continue monitoring this issue on behalf of SNHPs.

In particular, ACAP would like to recognize Network Health for educating the staff of the Senate HELP Committee on the critical role played by SNHPs in reducing racial and ethnic health disparities.

Legislative Definition of Safety Net Health Plan

Last year, ACAP worked with counsel to develop a statutory definition of “safety net health plans” that could be used in Federal legislation.  This definition is:
 
The term “safety net health plan” means a managed care organization as defined in section 1932(a)(1)(B)(i) of the Social Security Act (42 USC 1396u-2(a)(1)(B)(i)) that is exempt from or not subject to federal income tax, or that is owned by an entity or entities exempt from or not subject to federal income tax, and for which no less than 75 percent of the enrolled population receives benefits under a Federal health care program as defined in section 1128B(f)(1) (42 USC 1320a-7b(f)(1)) or a health care plan or program which is funded, in whole or in part, by a State or locality (other than a program for government employees).

Racial Disparities

Health care disparities along racial and ethnic lines continue to plague the American health care system.  The infant mortality rate for African-Americans is nearly two and a half times great than for whites.  Diabetes disease rates are more than 30% higher among Native Americans and Hispanics than among whites. The members of the Association for Community Affiliated Plans (ACAP), all not-for-profit Medicaid-focused health plans have been involved in projects to both identify the disparities and address them for many years.  ACAP plans organize care for more than 3 million lives, or almost 50% of the 7 million Medicaid beneficiaries enrolled in Medicaid-focused health plans.   

ACAP was successful in including SNHPs in opportunities to address racial and ethnic health disparities.  Specifically, we worked with Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee staff to raise awareness of the unique position that SNHPs have in serving racial and ethnic minorities served by public health insurance programs.  As a result of these efforts, SNHPs are included in legislation addressing health disparities and are eligible to participate in the bill’s initiatives and have priority funding in a number of different areas.  This legislation is called the “Minority Health Improvement and Health Disparity Elimination Act” and has been introduced in the Senate (S.1576) and has 14 cosponsors.  A companion bill has also been introduced in the House of Representatives (H.R.3333) by Representative Jesse Jackson (D-IL) and has 58 cosponsors.

In addition to S.1576/H.R.3333, the House of Representatives “Tri-Caucus” (the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus, the Congressional Black Caucus, and the Congressional Hispanic Caucus) introduced their version of health disparities legislation in the House of Representatives.  ACAP has been talking with Representatives from the Tri-Caucus to discuss the role of SNHPs in addressing health disparities.

At this time, it does not appear that the House or the Senate have scheduled time to move health disparities legislation.  ACAP will continue monitoring this issue on behalf of SNHPs.

In particular, ACAP would like to recognize Network Health for educating the staff of the Senate HELP Committee on the critical role played by SNHPs in reducing racial and ethnic health disparities.

Legislative Definition of Safety Net Health Plan

Last year, ACAP worked with counsel to develop a statutory definition of “safety net health plans” that could be used in Federal legislation.  This definition is:
 
The term “safety net health plan” means a managed care organization as defined in section 1932(a)(1)(B)(i) of the Social Security Act (42 USC 1396u-2(a)(1)(B)(i)) that is exempt from or not subject to federal income tax, or that is owned by an entity or entities exempt from or not subject to federal income tax, and for which no less than 75 percent of the enrolled population receives benefits under a Federal health care program as defined in section 1128B(f)(1) (42 USC 1320a-7b(f)(1)) or a health care plan or program which is funded, in whole or in part, by a State or locality (other than a program for government employees).
MEMBER LOGIN

News

President's Health Reform Proposal Includes Medicaid Expanion, DRE, SNHP Exemption from Insurer Fee

President Obama released a health care reform proposal Monday in preparation for the bipartisan White House Summit to be held on February 25. Although the proposal is not in legislation-ese and lacks considerable detail, ACAP is happy to report that the DRE is included, and that a Senate-like health insurer fee exempts nonprofit health plans that “serve critical purposes for the community,” such as serving public programs for low-income, elderly and disabled consumers. CHIP is preserved in the proposal, and Medicaid is expanded to 133 percent of the FPL. The proposal can be viewed here: http://www.whitehouse.gov/health-care-meeting/proposal.

Meanwhile, ACAP continues to lead the effort to expand Medicaid to all individuals below a certain threshold of the federal poverty level. An ad urging Congress to provide Medicaid to all individuals under 150 percent of the FPL was published in Roll Call Monday, February 8. Another ad, reflecting policy in the President’s proposal, will run on Thursday, February 25 to coincide with the bipartisan White House Summit on reform. The Summit can be viewed at 10 am on the 25th here: www.WhiteHouse.gov/live.

President's Health Reform Proposal Includes Medicaid Expanion, DRE, SNHP Exemption from Insurer Fee

President Obama released a health care reform proposal Monday in preparation for the bipartisan White House Summit to be held on February 25. Although the proposal is not in legislation-ese and lacks considerable detail, ACAP is happy to report that the DRE is included, and that a Senate-like health insurer fee exempts nonprofit health plans that “serve critical purposes for the community,” such as serving public programs for low-income, elderly and disabled consumers. CHIP is preserved in the proposal, and Medicaid is expanded to 133 percent of the FPL. The proposal can be viewed here: http://www.whitehouse.gov/health-care-meeting/proposal.

Meanwhile, ACAP continues to lead the effort to expand Medicaid to all individuals below a certain threshold of the federal poverty level. An ad urging Congress to provide Medicaid to all individuals under 150 percent of the FPL was published in Roll Call Monday, February 8. Another ad, reflecting policy in the President’s proposal, will run on Thursday, February 25 to coincide with the bipartisan White House Summit on reform. The Summit can be viewed at 10 am on the 25th here: www.WhiteHouse.gov/live.