Overcoming racial health disparities is focus of new bill. What would change if passed

BOSTON — Health equity advocates are urging lawmakers to advance a comprehensive health equity bill to overcome racial disparities in the health care system. 

The omnibus bill, co-sponsored by 31 legislators in the House and Senate, aims to improve access and quality of health care. Among other provisions, the bill includes creating an executive office of equity; reducing the cost of certain medications for chronic conditions that disproportionately affect communities of color and low-income communities; and expanding MassHealth coverage for people regardless of immigration status. 

“This legislation is an essential step toward addressing the failings of our health care system and the root causes of health inequities across the commonwealth,” said state Sen. Pavel Payano, D-Lawrence, lead sponsor of the bill, during a Joint Committee on Health Care Financing hearing on Wednesday.

‘Horrible tragedy’: Mass. reproductive justice advocates call for comprehensive maternal care

Requiring the governor’s cabinet to include a secretary of equity would elevate equity with the Legislature and raise appropriate awareness of health care gaps, said Assaad Sayah, president and chief executive of the Cambridge Health Alliance.

“Bureaucracy worries me,” said state Sen. Cindy Friedman, D-Arlington, Senate Chair of the Committee on Health Care Financing. “We can spend a lot of time on the bureaucracy and then we have not a lot to show.”

Having diverse representation in policy conversations is an essential first step versus remaining an afterthought in governance, Sayah said.

“The gap is huge and the conversation is large,” he said. “It needs to be a voice that’s coming from inside at every lesson in every conversation.”

Uninsured residents use emergency rooms for primary care

More than 80% of Massachusetts residents believe some racial groups face more health care obstacles, with 23% citing health care and insurance affordability and cost as top barriers to health equity in open-ended responses, according to a new MassINC Polling Group survey.

Many uninsured Massachusetts residents overuse emergency rooms for primary care due to a lack of access to primary care physicians, said Amie Shei, president and CEO of the Health Foundation of Central Massachusetts, in an interview before Wednesday’s hearing.

“This is very costly and they (uninsured residents) end up delaying treatment and many times their health conditions worsen as a result,” she said.

Dr. Jeff Hersh: Women often get the short end of the stick in the health care system

Though Massachusetts has broader insurance coverage, “many still don’t guarantee to receive understanding, compassionate and culturally competent providers within practices that offer people respectful care,” said Nancy Norman, medical director of integration for the Massachusetts Behavioral Health Partnership. 

Shari Nethersole, vice president of community jhealth at Boston Children’s Hospital, said during Wednesday’s testimony that language barriers and limited culturally relevant care make it difficult for immigrant families to navigate and access care.

“The current system of offering medical limited coverage to children and adults for undocumented immigrants creates a tiered system where even members of the same family may have access to the same level of care,” Nethersole said, adding that equal coverage would ensure patients get appropriate preventive care on time.

Bill would require state agencies to report health data

One proposal in the package is to require state agencies to report data related to health disparities using standardized health equity data metrics.

Analyzing and sharing data such as life expectancy differences between Boston neighborhoods is difficult, said Bisola Ojikutu, executive director of the Boston Public Health Commission. 

“Standardizing data that have already been shared allows us to clearly target interventions and measure progress over time,” Ojikutu said during the hearing. “We need solutions that are comprehensive and encompass the entire state, even if they need increased bureaucracy.”

Health equity activists rally on State House steps 

Ahead of Wednesday’s hearing, members of the Health Equity Compact — an organization representing more than 80 leaders of color representing hospitals, health centers and other community health organizations — held a rally to support the legislation on the State House steps. 

According to the MassInc poll, 96% of Massachusetts residents agree that everyone deserves an opportunity to live a long, healthy life, regardless of income, education or race. 

Michael Curry, co-founder of the Compact and president of Massachusetts League of Community Health Centers, said the Health Equity Compact will continue to advocate to get the legislation moved favorably out of the committee by the Joint Rule 10 deadline, which is next April.

“It’s only equitable that it passes,” Sayah said. “The bill is not the answer to everything, but it is an important step in that journey.”