minority health month
NMHM logo
April is National Minority Health Month, a time to learn more about the health status of racial and ethnic minority populations in the U.S. The theme for 2018 is Partnering for Health Equity which highlights partnerships at the federal, state, local, tribal and territorial levels that help reduce disparities in health and health care. This year, the Office of Minority Health at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services will celebrate public- and private-sector collaborations that advance health equity and help improve the health of the nation.

What is Health Equity?
Health equity is when everyone has the opportunity to be as healthy as possible.

What Are Health Disparities?
Health disparities are differences in health outcomes and their causes among groups of people. For example, African American children are more likely to die from asthma compared to non-Hispanic White children. Reducing health disparities creates better health for all Americans.

Why is Health Equity Important?
Health is central to human happiness and well-being and is affected by where people live, learn, work, and play. According to the  World Health Organization, health also makes an important contribution to economic progress.
Benefits Provider Resources & Services
 
The DC Department of Human Resources is dedicated to ensuring employees have access to the high quality health and wellness services. Please see below for additional information on programs by carrier.
aetna
Aetnaaetna

Aetna believes everyone deserves a health care system that provides quality care. Yet statistics, show that racial and ethnic minorities receive lower-quality health care than non-minorities do.  For more than a decade, we've made addressing these differences a major priority. These efforts include creating programs and using technology to bridge the gaps. We believe these efforts will lead to better health outcomes for everyone.  We're committed to addressing these differences by:
  • Finding the best opportunities to improve the quality of care
  • Developing programs for health conditions more common among minorities
  • Working with experts to help us find new ways to reduce health care inequality

Aetna has taken a leadership role in finding and implementing solutions to the problem of health care disparities and for 10 years has been a catalyst for change. In addition to creating our own initiatives to fight disparities among our members, we encourage researchers at the nation's top academic institutions and engage community-based organizations to address variations in health status and health care delivery among racial and ethnic populations. We also work closely with numerous national health care organizations that have identified racial and ethnic disparities in health care as an issue that needs attention and action.

Log into Aetna.com/navigator  or www.aetnadcgov.com to learn more.
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Kaiser Permanentekaiser

Kaiser Permanente is a leader in identifying, measuring, and eliminating disparities in health and health care. We do this by providing equitable access and care to our members. We also target resources to areas of need in the communities we serve, invests in important and needed research into the entire construct of disparities, and identify and implement strategies and policies that support equity in health nationwide, including universal health coverage. 

Our commitment to total health at the community level requires that no group be left behind in the making of healthy communities. That's why we continue to deepen our engagement in the promotion of health equity and the elimination of health disparities. These objectives have been long-standing Kaiser Permanente priorities. As part of Kaiser Permanente's commitment to delivering high-quality, equitable health care, we are increasingly focused on personalizing the experience for members. Examples include providing care and service with cultural sensitivity and in the language members prefer and offering in-person, telephone and online appointments to best meet member needs.

Key achievements include:
Learn more at kp.org or my.kp.org/dcgovernment.
uhc logo
UnitedHealthcareuhc

A big part of living a healthy life is detecting health issues early. Following clinically accepted age and gender preventive care guidelines for screenings and immunizations may help you manage your health. The interactive Preventive Care Guidelines tool makes it quick and easy to get the guidelines that may be right for you and a checklist you can use in talking with your doctor. To better serve our diverse population, UnitedHealthcare works to provide our membership with culturally and linguistically appropriate programs and services.

Our goals:
  • Reduce health disparities to improve the quality of health of members and communities
  • Embrace diversity by creating a continuum of culturally sensitive initiatives that promote health and prevent avoidable health care costs
Our approach :
  • Developing systems and tools and identify, monitor and reduce health disparities
  • Growing multicultural capabilities to enhance the member experience
  • Ensuring access to providers
  • Empowering people to maximize their health and well-being
  • Delivering targeted interventions tailored to our members
  • Closing the gap in health literacy within diverse populations
  • Providing thought leadership and industry awareness on health equity.
Learn more at www.uhc.com or  dcgov.welcometouhc.com. Also visit www.uhcasian.com  and  www.uhclatino.com .
For more information, please visit DCHR online or email dchr.benefits@dc.gov.
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