Anthem, other groups team up to tackle healthcare disparities

Photo credit: michaeljung

Anthem will partner with a diverse group of organizations--including the National Urban League, City of Hope and Pfizer--on an initiative that aims to reduce healthcare disparities in the African-American community.

The initiative, called Take Action for Health, will focus on improving emotional well-being and reducing heart disease and breast cancer in this population by increasing depression and anxiety screenings, blood pressure screenings and mammograms, the announcement says.

The effort will begin with a pilot study involving 300 participants, who will attend wellness programs at Urban League affiliates in three cities and test a new website that will encourage and help track health screenings, address barriers, offer information on low- and no-cost services, and enable health information sharing.

To gauge their experiences, participants will take surveys regarding their health screening behaviors, satisfaction with the website and level of empowerment regarding their healthcare.

Craig Samitt, M.D., executive vice president and chief clinical officer at Anthem, said in the announcement that he hopes the campaign will help the insurer and other organizations get a better sense of the factors that fuel healthcare disparities.

“Addressing health disparities begins with understanding they are steeped in complex issues that bridge cultural stigmas, socioeconomic challenges, and a variety of risk factors,” he said. “Take Action for Health will not only help us better understand why our communities are at risk, but also empower individuals and their families to overcome obstacles to take control of their health.”

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services has also set its sights on reducing healthcare disparities, as it unveiled a new mapping tool earlier this year that is part of a broader effort to close care gaps. And the Obama administration has pushed for more states to expand Medicaid, which the Kaiser Family Foundation has noted would help reduce Southerners’ greater likelihood of having chronic illnesses and poor health outcomes.  

- read the announcement