AHIP Looks At Improving Health Equity, Increasing Health Access In 2022

By Susan Rupe

The health insurance industry is focusing on improving health equity and helping more Americans obtain and keep their coverage in the coming year.

The president and CEO of America’s Health Insurance Plans said Wednesday that his organization’s vision for 2022 is “leading solutions and advocating policies that will result in healthier people, healthier families, healthier communities and ultimately a healthier nation.”

Matt Eyles and a panel of AHIP experts presented a webinar in which they discussed the challenges facing health care in 2022 and beyond. Topics discussed included ensuring more Americans have access to care, protecting Americans from surprise medical bills, improving health equity and protecting patient personal information.

“We know right now that Americans are more focused than ever before on health,” Eyles said. “Greater health isn’t just a policy. It’s a greater national priority. Healthier people lead to a happier, less stressed nation. Good health improves everything. That translates directly to a stronger America.”

Eyles outlined AHIP’s four main priorities for 2022. They are:

Affordable coverage, improved access. Addressing the underlying cost drivers of care. Ending pharma monopolies. Addressing hospital and physician group consolidation. Pushing back on restrictions on medical management.
Improving health equity. Ensuring everyone has an equal opportunity to thrive and achieve their best possible health. Expanding initiatives to provide health care opportunities to underserved areas and populations. Providing COVID-19 vaccine outreach to at-risk older Americans. Providing outreach in a culturally competent manner to various ethnic groups.
Post-pandemic health care. AHIP will develop a post-pandemic road map to improve health care. AHIP is working to maintain coverage for those who were eligible for coverage under Medicaid or the Affordable Care Act during the public health emergency so that they will continue to have coverage when the emergency ends.
Improving competition and choice. Maintain a competitive private health insurance market.

Eyles noted that AHIP supported the No Surprises Act, which establishes new federal protections against surprise medical bills. AHIP also supported the American Rescue Plan’s increased subsidies for those who bought health insurance on the Affordable Care Act exchanges while the association continues to support employer-based health insurance.

The increased use of technology in health care has been a help to consumers as they were able to access telehealth services during the pandemic. But more technology also poses more of a risk to patient privacy. Danielle Lloyd, AHIP’s senior vice president of private market innovations and quality initiatives, presented some recommendations on how to maintain patient privacy. They include:

Consumers should have easy access to their information, but they also should know how it will be used and whether it will be shared.
Information should be held private and secure, no matter who holds that information.
Demographic data should be collected but it should be leveraged to improve quality of care and not used to discriminate.
Technology should have protections.
The commercial sale of individual health information should be prohibited unless there is express agreement from the consumer.

Susan Rupe is managing editor for InsuranceNewsNet. She formerly served as communications director for an insurance agents' association and was an award-winning newspaper reporter and editor. Contact her at [email protected]. Follow her on Twitter @INNsusan.