Building An Equitable Health Care Delivery System: Considerations For State And Federal Policymakers

Health disparities persist in the United States, with disadvantaged groups disproportionately bearing the burden of poor health outcomes and shortened lifespans. States cannot effectively control healthcare costs or improve quality without addressing health disparities. Fortunately, state and federal policymakers can work together to build an equitable health care delivery system by aligning payment models, creating new partnerships, and building infrastructure and data systems to reduce health disparities. This brief reflects on a discussion of health equity held at a meeting of state and federal leaders convened by the National Academy for State Health Policy, and includes examples of several states’ efforts to promote health equity.