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POLICY RECOMMENDATIONS Human Health
Policy Recommendation 4:
Before proposing legislation related to health care, state policymakers may consider social and economic factors that impact health care access and health outcomes.
The Human Health Subcommittee approved this recommendation citing a desire to holistically examine health care outcomes to better understand inequities embedded in U.S. health care systems. The subcommittee recommends that states consider the social and economic factors that impact both access to care and the health outcomes that result from said care.
Chronic illness is more likely to affect those with the lowest incomes, and children in low-income families are sicker than their high-income counterparts.
State Examples
Connecticut has issued a public act that puts an emphasis on equalizing health access. The creation of the Commission on Racial Equity in Public Health is meant to oversee and combat embedded racism and discrimination within the public health system.
In Washington, House Bill 1783 created the Washington State Office of Equity that focuses on disparity throughout the healthcare system by helping marginalized groups obtain the resources they need.
Additional Resources
The Council of State Governments State Leader Policy Brief: Human Health (2022) — https://web.csg.org/csghealthystates/ wp-content/uploads/sites/23/2022/05/Healthy-States-National-TaskForce-Policy-Brief-Strategies-for-Improving-Health-Equity.pdf believe enabled
The COVID-19 pandemic led to disparate health outcomes based on age, race/ethnicity and gender. Several states responded by creating a task force, office or advisory council to address pandemic-related processes through an equity lens.1 As health care inequities predate and persist beyond the pandemic, state policymakers could consider making similar racial and ethnic disparities task forces to consult policymakers on future health legislation.
State legislatures can tackle this issue through observing demographics and data in areas where health care access and health outcomes can become impacted. The County Health Rankings and Roadmaps (housed at the University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute) has displayed a list of social and economic factors which are summed into five areas: education, employment, income, family and social support, and community safety.2 This data-driven approach can result in improved understanding of social and economic influences on healthcare outcomes. The organization found that adults in the highest income brackets are healthier than those in the middle class and will live, on average, more than six years longer than those with the lowest income.3 The ongoing challenges associated with economic stress can lead to cumulative health damage, both physical and mental.
2021-22 Council of State Governments Healthy States National Task Force, Human Health Subcommittee, June 2021 meeting — https://web.csg.org/csghealthystates/wp-content/uploads/ sites/23/2021/07/Human-Health-Subcommittee-Meeting-1-Summary. pdf
Washington State Office of Equity https://equity.wa.gov/people/ we-people
Endnotes
1 Higgins, E. (2020, Oct. 12). States Work to Advance Racial Equity in COVID-19 Outcomes and Beyond. Retrieved October 31, 2022, from National Academy for State Health Policy: https://www.nashp.org/states-work-to-advance-racial-equity-in-covid-19-outcomes-andbeyond/
2 County Health Rankings and Roadmaps. (n.d.). Social and Economic Factors. Retrieved October 31, 2022, from County Health Rankings Model: https://www.countyhealthrankings.org/explore-health-rankings/measures-data-sources/county-health-rankings-model/health-factors/social-and-economic-factors#:~:text=Social%20and%20economic%20 factors%2C%20such,%2C%20manage%20stress%2C%20and%20more.
3 Ibid.
