HELEN News

  FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE July 14, 2020   CONTACT Dylan Opalich   Chairman Neal and Ways and Means Committee Democrats Release Report Examining Longstanding Inequities in American Health System   “Left Out: Barriers to Health Equity for Rural and Underserved Communities” presents an honest, holistic analysis of the many cross-sector and historically rooted challenges facing residents of underserved communities   SPRINGFIELD, MA – Today, House Ways and Means Chairman Richard E. Neal (D-MA) released a staff report, titled “Left Out: Barriers to Health Equity for Rural and Underserved Communities” that analyzes the barriers to health care in…

Congress’s enactment of the Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act (MACRA) last year repealed Medicare’s sustainable growth rate (SGR) in favor of a new Merit-based Incentive Payment System (MIPS) intended to increase quality of care across the United States. The law was designed to shift how health care providers are paid from a volume-based payment system to a value-based system. While well-intentioned, this push raises several concerns. Most notably that providers with higher quality scores tend to also have higher disparities in care among racial and ethnic minorities and other vulnerable populations. On May 9, 2016 CMS released its much anticipated proposed rule to…

Over the next few months, HELEN will host discussions featuring leaders from each TriCaucus member who will share their congressional perspective on advancing health equity in the current Congress. HELEN is excited to feature Congresswoman Judy Chu, Chair of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus (CAPAC). Congresswoman Chu will share: the history and provide an overview of the Congressional  Asian Pacific American Caucus,  its key policy priorities, including those related to the advancement of health equity,  her perspective on what can be achieved in the 114th Congress and;  opportunities for health equity…

The webinar provides HELEN members from around the country a unique opportunity to come together and learn, discuss and ask questions about how to raise awareness about fair housing and housing mobility as equity issues. The virtual platform will include direct knowledge and insight on fair housing as a health equity issue and the U.S. Supreme Court case, Texas Department of Housing v. the Inclusive Communities Project - the plaintiffs' suit, the challenge to disparate impact, and its implications for desegregation efforts. Speakers for this event include Philip Tegeler, Executive Director of Poverty & Race Research Action Council and Demetria McCain,  Vice…