HEALTH EQUITY BRIEF

Still not sure why you should act on federal or state health policy?

Then ask yourself these questions:

If you are a health-focused grantmaker or donor, what are the pressing issues you seek to address in your region or state? What are the implications of proposed changes to ACA, Medicaid, Medicare or domestic budget cuts for the following?

• Opioid addiction crisis
• Caregiving for the aging
• Reproductive health, infant and maternal wellness
• Mental and behavioral health access
• Rural access to care and stability of community health centers and hospitals in rural communities
• Affordable prevention and treatment services for people at risk of or living with HIV/AIDS
• Services and care for people with disabilities
• Tribal health services
• Health support for people in transition from one gender identity to another

Justice in Aging Senior Staff Attorney Amber Christ at an Emergency Health Care Town Hall for Seniors in San Diego. Photo courtesy of SEIU.

If you are not a health funder, what are the implications of possible federal or state changes for issues you care about?

Social services that rely on state funding

Do you live or work in one of the 31 states that opted to expand Medicaid under the ACA and now face proposed funding cuts? What are the potential programs that would face cuts to meet budget shortfalls?

• Check out these state-by-state fact sheets on the impacts of proposed Medicaid cuts on state budgets.

Do you live or work in one of the remaining states that has not expanded Medicaid but still could do so as long as the ACA remains the law?

Race and gender equity

Did you know the ACA has helped reduce disparities in health access?

• Check out these charts showing the role of Medicaid in helping to reduce disparities by race/ethnicity.

Your local community’s economic vitality

Do you know how your local hospitals and health centers and their workers would be affected by policy changes?

• Check out these data-projecting job cuts and tax revenue losses.

Your community’s overall well-being 

After examining all of the above data, what do you think would be the effect of cuts in services, health access, jobs and funding for the communities and residents you seek to benefit through your grantmaking?