The Association for Community Affiliated Plans (ACAP), an organization that works to strengthen not-for-profit safety net health plans, is holding its Spring Marketplace Meeting in San Diego this week, and two members of leadership at L.A. Care Health Plan are among the participants on a panel titled Social Determinants of Health (SDOH) & Racial Equity in the Marketplace. James Kyle, MD, MDiv, L.A. Care’s Chief of Equity and Quality Medical Director, and Cristina Inglese, L.A. Care Executive Director of Commercial Products, will join Meg Murray, CEO of ACAP, and Elizabeth McClaine, VP of Commercial Products for Neighborhood Health Plan of Rhode Island, on the panel.
ACAP, which represents 78 safety net health plans across the country, says Medicaid plans have increased their focus on social factors that affect health outcomes. The panelists will discuss the various efforts their health plans have taken to address food insecurity and homelessness. They will also discuss the efforts their health plans have taken to address the health inequity that was put under a spotlight during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Kyle and Inglese will explain how the health plan’s Equity Council is working to improve member engagement from an equity standpoint by focusing on member-provider relationships. They will also describe the wide variety of vaccination efforts the health plan funded to boost the COVID-19 vaccination rates in communities of color, which have seen more cases, hospitalizations and deaths during the pandemic.
The Marketplace meetings are opportunities for ACAP member plans that operate in the Marketplace space to come together to discuss common challenges, provide updates on policy and operational concerns of note, network with their peers, and exchange best practices.
The two day conference is March 30 and 31 in San Diego. The 45-minute SDOH & Racial Equity panel is on March 30, at 2:30 pm.