AHA advisory underlines need for equitable healthcare in the US
A presidential advisory published by the American Heart Association on Feb. 3 outlines a set of healthcare principles focused on eliminating inequities in the healthcare system, promoting diversity and better addressing social determinants of health.
The advisory was published in the AHA’s journal Circulation and reportedly builds on previous advisories published in 1993 and 2008, both of which addressed federal and state healthcare proposals. Just days earlier, the AHA published another document outlining new strategic impact goals for the next 10 years.
Keith Churchwell, MD, an advisory author and volunteer member of the AHA Board of Directors, said in a statement that to achieve the AHA’s 2030 impact goals, which include increasing overall healthy life expectancy from 66 to at least 68 years domestically by the next decade, “we must address inequities in health and healthcare that result from where people live, how much money they make, their level of education and other social determinants of health.”
“One’s chances of surviving cardiovascular disease and many other serious chronic conditions vary dramatically by geography, sex, gender identity, race and ethnicity,” he said.
It can be difficult to access quality care in the U.S., where an estimated 30 million people are uninsured and another 44 million are underinsured. The AHA’s latest advisory emphasizes the need to improve access to affordable healthcare and health coverage, increase the availability of preventive services and accelerate investments in biomedical research.
“We are publishing these principles as the 2020 election season gets underway so we can effectively utilize them to respond appropriately to healthcare proposals from federal and state candidates and elected officials,” Nancy Brown, CEO of the AHA, said in the statement. “We will review proposals on [their] merits, without regard for ideology or political party, and our analysis will always be driven by what is equitable, evidence-based and in the best interests of patients and consumers.”
After graduating from Indiana University-Bloomington with a bachelor’s in journalism, Anicka joined TriMed’s Chicago team in 2017 covering cardiology. Close to her heart is long-form journalism, Pilot G-2 pens, dark chocolate and her dog Harper Lee.