Reforming the healthcare system itself to advance health equity

One of the most encouraging and exciting developments in philanthropy has been the enormous investments made in health equity, a movement that is only beginning to make inroads in shifting the balance in the way some of the most underserved people get and stay healthy.
The health disparities that plague our nation all came to a head as the COVID-19 pandemic shed light anew on our country’s existing health inequities, with early death rates among Black, Latinx, and Indigenous people at least twice as high as those among white people.
When COVID hit, philanthropy heeded the call. It was the leadership of foundations and advocacy groups that helped ensure that people of color—who are almost always last in line for the support they need—received adequate relief.
But there’s an even bigger space for our largest and most influential foundations to make a difference on health equity. It’s the business model for the healthcare industry itself: the fee-for-service system, which currently incentivizes health providers to focus on maximizing expensive services instead of protecting or nurturing our health. It’s how the overwhelming majority of us get our health care, and it’s shoving underserved populations even further to the “end of the line.” (author introduction) #P4HEwebinarOctober2023