Online Program

Oral

This session, Confronting Health Disparities While Reforming Health Care: The Massachusetts Experience presents a cluster of case examples from research, practice and policy of organizations, communities and coalitions keeping racial and ethnic health disparities prominently on the health care policy agenda for system and payment reform of the past two decades. Massachusetts has led the nation in health innovation since the founding of the first public health department in 1799 with Paul Revere named as Boston’s first health officer and as home to the nation’s first community health center at Columbia Point in 1965. Both focused on the most vulnerable populations in society and those suffering the greatest disparities in health and health care. Massachusetts’ health reform legislation in 2006 was the model for the Affordable Care Act in 2010 and in 2012 Massachusetts enacted health care payment reform legislation with implications for the implementation of the ACA. Throughout the decades and debates advocates in service to the underserved have successfully maintained their currency in the legislative and policy process so that confronting health disparities is a priority of system and payment reform as demonstrated by examples presented in this session.

Session Objectives: Discuss how advocacy groups can raise legislative awareness about disparities and health equity. Describe steps taken by the Massachusetts Department of Public Health to reduce health disparities as part of the state’s implementation of health reform. Demonstrate effective media and legislative campaigns to support policy advocacy for health equity.

CE Credits: Medical (CME), Health Education (CHES), Nursing (CNE), Public Health (CPH)