Using health reform to address health equity: Where do we need to go next?

Because lack of insurance and under-insurance contribute significantly to health disparities in the United States, the expanded access to insurance and improved consumer protections from insurance industry abuses that the Affordable Care Act has put in place will, in and of themselves, advance health equity. In addition, however, the health care law includes increased funding for public health programs that are vital resources for low-income and immigrant women and programmatic opportunities to reduce disparities based on race, gender, income and sexual orientation. Health equity advocates in Washington, DC, and throughout the country are working to ensure that we can take best advantage of these opportunities, and some campaigns have had early successes. This presentation will identify campaigns that successfully addressed health disparities, and explain the strategies and tactics that worked. The presentation will also argue for a more complex and multi-faceted understanding of health equity that enables activists to go beyond single-issue disparities.