On Tuesday, June 13th, the Health Equity Compact of Massachusetts convened its first Health Equity Trends Summit. The event brought together over 700 people including leaders in the public and private sector for a public discussion of health equity in the Commonwealth. Key issues discussed include roadblocks and resolutions to address health inequity, the economic case for Massachusetts health equity reform, the power of business leaders to advance health equity, health equity in the state government, and strategies for sustaining the health equity movement.

The summit highlighted the fact that while Massachusetts is the state with the highest rate of residents with health insurance, there are glaring and structural inequities that hinders access to people of color, immigrants, and state employees. As Attorney General Andrea Campbell stated, affordability and access are health equity issues. For instance, black women are twice more likely to die from birth-related health conditions than white women. Furthermore, a recent study by the  Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts Foundation indicates that the economic burden posed by health inequities totaled $5.9 billion for the Black, Hispanic/Latino, and Asian populations. According to Doug Howgate, president of the Massachusetts Taxpayers Foundation, this amounts to about 10% of the state’s annual budget. If measures are not taken to address these health inequities, it is estimated that the economic burden will increase significantly to $11.2 billion by 2050.

Notably, efforts have been taken at various levels to address this challenge. Senate President, Karen Spilka informed attendees that the Senate has recently passed a law to extend post-partum health care coverage for a year. A maternal health equity fund has also been established to support community health services. Furthermore, the latest Senate budget allocates funds for free community college education for nursing students starting in the fall of 2023. Recognizing that leadership is key, some organizations have also made an effort to diversify their leadership and membership to include more people of color.

A key challenge in advancing health equity is the issue of data availability and accessibility and this was echoed by several speakers. As JD Chesloff, President & CEO of the Massachusetts Business Roundtable affirmed, data is necessary for advocacy since it can enable the business case for health equity to be made. Another hurdle identified is the lack of capacity for small businesses. To address this, BECMA informed that their organization had provided financial support to several businesses.

So what is the way forward in advancing health equity? The speakers proposed a variety of strategies to address ongoing inequities. Some of these include making health equity an intentional process not an afterthought, including affected communities in the process and making their voice heard, addressing the social barriers to health equity, considering health equity as a shared responsibility that requires collaboration at various levels, simplifying the process of obtaining and maintaining health insurance coverage, investing in insurance programs that do not discriminate, and investing in organizational change at various levels.

The summit was an insightful opportunity that encouraged a thoughtful discussion of the true state of health equity in Massachusetts. It also emphasized the fact that racial equality, economic equality, and health equity are intrinsically connected. Beyond these series of discussions, however, was the acknowledgment that it is time to act to resolve this ongoing problem that kills and serves as a huge economic drain to the state. In line with this, leaders from various businesses and organizations made commitments to advance health equity. As emphasized by Michael Curry, President & CEO of the Massachusetts League of Community Health Centers, “we face the choice to pay now or pay greater later.”

The Roundtable is committed to making the business case for health equity and addressing this ongoing challenge. This will be done through allyship, amplification, advocacy, and activation. For more details about the summit, visit the Health Equity Compact.