Initiatives To Reduce Risks Associated With Racial & Ethnic Disparities In Health Care.

Aetna announced a series of initiatives it has undertaken to assess and track racial and ethnic disparities in health care, and to develop interventions that improve the quality of care for minority members.

The company has developed a coordinated, multidimensional approach comprised of a variety of research, educational, data collection and supporting initiatives designed to enhance understanding of the cultural diversity and language preferences of its membership and participating physicians. Aetna expects that better understanding of disparities among racial and ethnic groups will enable it to target educational and outreach programs to specific member populations.

“Aetna is committed to improving the health of all of our members by working closely with physicians,” Aetna Chairman and CEO John W. Rowe, M.D., said. “Reducing the gap in health care among minority populations is one of the most obvious targets for health care improvement in the United States. The scientific community and the federal government have acknowledged that systematic efforts on the part of insurers such as Aetna can have a dramatic impact on disparities in health care, and I am very proud of the initiatives that we have undertaken to date.

“A critical component of this effort is our pledge to use the data only for determining appropriate educational, outreach and quality improvement initiatives and not to determine eligibility, rating or claim payment.” Aetna’s efforts to enhance health services and benefits support the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ national initiative to eliminate racial and ethnic disparities in health care.

“Disparities in health care among racial and ethnic groups have been well documented by the federal government and medical research community,” commented U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Tommy Thompson. “It is imperative that health insurers understand the race and ethnicity of their membership in order to focus their programs on preventing disease and promoting health. We appreciate efforts by Aetna to address this important and sensitive issue.”

According to HHS, compelling evidence exists that ethnic and racial gaps in health care persist and, in some cases, have widened among African- Americans, Hispanics, American Indians, Alaska Natives and Pacific Islanders, when compared to the U.S. population as a whole.

Research indicates that minorities suffer from certain diseases at significantly higher levels than the rate of white Americans. In an effort to close this gap, the federal government, under the leadership of HHS, is focusing its efforts on eliminating health status disparities in infant mortality, cancer screening and management, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, HIV infection, and child and adult immunizations.

“As the nation’s only organization devoted to the needs of African-American physicians, health professionals and their patients, we are actively working to address the widespread racial and ethnic biases that exist today in the health care arena,” commented L. Natalie Carroll, M.D., president of the National Medical Association. “Aetna’s efforts to gain greater understanding about the diversity of its membership and the cultural competency of its participating physicians are encouraging. With this knowledge, Aetna will be well positioned to provide equal opportunity to all their members, ultimately enhancing the diagnosis, treatment and quality of life for minorities.”

The groundbreaking report, “Unequal Treatment: Confronting Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Healthcare,” released in 2002 by the National Academies’ Institute of Medicine (IOM) showed racial and ethnic minorities receive lower-quality health care than Caucasians, even when insurance status, income, age and severity of conditions are comparable. The report’s first recommendation for reducing these disparities is to increase awareness of the issue among the public, health care providers, insurance companies and policy makers. It also recommends the standardized collection of data on health care access and utilization by patients’ race, ethnicity, socioeconomic status and where possible, primary language. This finding also is endorsed in the July 2002 report, “Developing a Health Plan Report Card on Quality of Care for Minority Populations,” released by The Commonwealth Fund.

For more information at http://www.aetna.com