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The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Medicare-Medicaid Coordination Office is committed to health equity and addressing disparities in healthcare access and quality for individuals dually eligible for Medicare and Medicaid.1 Advancing health equity means incorporating lived experiences and perspectives of individuals, safety net providers, and community-based organizations in supporting wellness for all. Health equity-focused initiatives provide an opportunity for health plans serving dually eligible individuals to design and implement programs that can improve access to quality care and, ultimately, reduce disparities in health outcomes.1
Resources for Integrated Care (RIC) developed a spotlight to help inform providers, care managers, care coordinators, and other health plan and provider organization staff about promising practices to improve health equity. These practices come from health plans serving individuals who are dually eligible for Medicare and Medicaid. This spotlight explores key approaches plans can take to develop and align key activities—including care coordination, staff engagement, social determinants of health, data utilization, and professional development for staff—with a health equity framework.
1Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. (2023). Fact Sheet: CMS Strategic Plan, Health Equity. Retrieved from https://www.cms.gov/files/document/health-equity-fact-sheet.pdf.