Abstract and Introduction
Abstract
Disparities in health care have been targeted for elimination by federal agencies and professional organizations, including the American Public Health Association. Although the Affordable Care Act (ACA) provides a valuable first step in reducing the disparities gap, progress is contingent upon whether opportunities in the ACA help or hinder populations at risk for impaired health and limited access to medical care.
Introduction
Disparities in health care have been targeted for elimination by federal agencies and professional organizations, including the American Public Health Association. The Affordable Care Act (ACA) offers the promise of reducing disparities in health and medicine by promoting access to equitable and more efficient health care. However, nearly 5 years after the ACA was signed into law, researchers are still finding a wide chasm in health care access, quality, and outcomes. An expert panel organized by the Disparities Interest Group at the 2014 AcademyHealth Annual Research Meeting, provided areas of interest to consider when addressing disparities. Our policy brief builds on some of the topic areas presented at the interest group meeting. We discuss the role of (1) differential access to health insurance, (2) medical homes and accountable care organizations (ACOs), (3) preventive medicine, and (4) cultural competency on health care disparities in the post-ACA era. Although the ACA provides a valuable first step in reducing the disparities gap, progress is contingent upon whether opportunities in the ACA help or hinder populations at risk for impaired health and limited access to medical care.