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Reducing Racial and Ethnic Health Disparities in Medicaid

Racially and ethnically diverse populations experience more barriers to care, lower quality, and a disproportionate burden of illness from chronic diseases. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services indicate that in 2001, nearly half of the 31 million beneficiaries of Medicaid were culturally diverse Americans. Consequently, state Medicaid purchasers and their managed care contractors are uniquely situated to test and generate improvements in the quality of care and health outcomes for millions of racially and ethnically diverse beneficiaries with chronic illnesses. They can do so by aligning contracting requirements, data capabilities, financing incentives, cultural competence, and disease management proficiencies. 

State Medicaid purchasers and their managed care contractors are uniquely situated to generate improvements in the quality of care and health outcomes for millions of racially and ethnically diverse beneficiaries with chronic illnesses. They can do so by aligning contracting requirements, data capabilities, financing incentives, cultural competence, and disease management proficiencies.

A CHCS Purchasing Institute convened state Medicaid agencies and leading experts in the field to discuss strategies for using the collection and analysis of data to reduce such disparities.

Twelve states participated in the CHCS Purchasing Institute: Florida, Indiana, Oklahoma, Oregon, Maryland, Michigan, Nevada, New Jersey, Texas, Virginia, Washington, and Washington D.C.

Part of a multi-tiered initiative, the Purchasing Institute works with state Medicaid agencies to enhance data collection and analysis skills, build agency capacity, and create a strategic plan for quality improvement projects focused on health disparities.

CHCS developed a framework to serve as the basis of the Purchasing Institute curriculum.

Data - Obtaining accurate racial and ethnic data and developing the tools needed to analyze these data to identify health disparities.

Actions - Types of actions (administrative, purchasing strategies, and policy changes) a state can pursue once it has data that allows staff to determine where disparities exist.

Communication - Development of a communications plan that helps a state efficiently and effectively communicate its vision for reducing disparities.

Agency Contact: Mel Chang

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