Foley Hoag presented our first-ever hybrid half-day Summit for Health Equity in which we – through four presentations and panel discussions – provided an overview and analysis of the latest issues surrounding health equity and social determinants of health in the U.S. The Summit convened multi-disciplinary lawyers and leaders across the healthcare vertical for engaging dialogue and education.
Agenda:
9:30 am - 10 am: Check in/Networking and Opening Remarks
10 am - 10:45 am: Presentation and Panel Discussion: CMS Initiatives to Advance Health Equity (view recording)
This session provided an overview of recent CMS initiatives to address and advance health equity in the Medicare and Medicaid programs, including through models developed by the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation (CMMI) and waiver programs that provide states with additional flexibility to adopt policies that address Social Determinants of Health (SDoH) in their Medicaid programs.
Panelists:
11:00 am - 11:45 am: Presentation and Panel Discussion:
Encouraging Health Equity and Diversity in FDA-Regulated Clinical Trials (view recording)
This session provided an overview of various efforts that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has taken to encourage sponsors to increase the participation of diverse groups in clinical trials to better represent the populations that could potentially benefit from the medical interventions being studied. We also discussed how medical product companies can help bridge the gap in health equity and diversity through advertising, promotion, and other relevant communications in an FDA-compliant manner.
Panelists:
11:45 am - 12:30 pm: Lunch/Break for Zoom attendees
12:30 pm - 1:15 pm: Presentation and Panel Discussion:
The Experience of Disability Discrimination in Accessing Healthcare (view recording)
This session addressed discrimination against people with disabilities and its impact on integration in the community and the workplace. Among other topics, we discussed the types and degrees of discrimination affecting people with disabilities and what approaches, e.g., implementation of Section 504, are being used to try to address these issues.
Panelists:
- Constance Garner, Senior Policy Director - Disability & Special Populations Practice, Foley Hoag
- Nicole Jorwic, J.D., Chief of Advocacy and Campaigns, Caring Across Generations
1:30 pm - 2:15 pm: Presentation and Panel Discussion:
Health Access Options for Non-Citizens (view recording)
Newcomers to America face multiple challenges, not the least of which is accessing our country’s complicated health care system. What programs are available for immigrants? What are the qualification criteria? What rights do immigrants have when their coverage has been denied and what resources are available? Does the “public charge” ground for inadmissibility still apply and does it affect health access for the immigrant community? We discussed these questions in the context of Medicare, Medicaid, the Affordable Care Act Exchanges, and commercial insurance.
Panelists:
- Thomas Barker, Partner and Co-Chair - Healthcare Practice, Foley Hoag
- Andrew P. Cohen, Director/Lead Attorney, Access to Care and Coverage Practice, Health Law Advocates
Download the presentation materials here.
