The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced the agency’s first plan to address equity in the Medicare Program. The CMS Equity Plan for Improving Quality in Medicare will aim to reduce disparities in health care over the next four years for specific populations, including people with minority racial and ethnic backgrounds, minority sexual orientation or gender, people with disabilities, and people living in rural areas. The plan will focus on the following six priority areas:
- expanding the collection, reporting, and analysis of standardized data
- evaluating disparities and integrating solutions across programs
- developing and communicating promising approaches to address disparities
- increasing providers’ ability to meet the needs of vulnerable populations
- improving communication and language access for people with limited English proficiency and people with disabilities
- increasing accessibility of health care facilities
CMS noted that the equity plan aims to help ensure all beneficiaries benefit from the agency’s goals of better care, smarter spending, and healthier people.
Contact Erin O’Malley, director of policy, at eomalley@essentialhospitals.org or 202.585.0127 with any questions.