Raising Clinical Outcomes and Engagement Through Healthcare Equity: What Health Plans Need to Know

Structural racism and poverty are correlated with a higher incidence of obesity among Black Americans (49%). Social drivers of health, which impact a disproportionate number of non-white Americans who live below the poverty line, account for as much as 90% of individuals’ health outcomes.  

These are just two examples of data that highlight the need for equity. 

Health plans are well-aware that shifting this dynamic and boosting clinical outcomes is possible through better, more personalized member engagement. But by and large, the healthcare system is not adequately set up to engage individuals who need the most help, including the 133 million Americans who live with at least one preventable chronic disease. Most healthcare interventions intended to motivate or engage members to improve their health don’t align with members’ day-to-day needs.  

In other words, most health system interventions lack equitability.