Bill > H3969

This bill establishes an Office of Health Equity within the executive office of health and human services to coordinate efforts across the Commonwealth to eliminate racial and ethnic health disparities, which are defined as differences in health conditions among specific racial and ethnic groups. The bill amends existing laws to include the director of this new office on certain boards and to require recommendations to be made to the director. The Office of Health Equity will be led by a director appointed by the secretary of health and human services, with the Health Disparities Council serving as an advisory board. The office is tasked with setting goals, creating an annual plan to reduce disparities, collaborating with various state agencies to address social factors influencing health inequality, evaluating program effectiveness, and producing an annual report on the Commonwealth's progress in eliminating health disparities, which will be made public and filed with state officials. Additionally, the bill requires the commission to establish goals to reduce health care disparities in racial, ethnic, and disabled communities, incorporating recommendations from the Health Disparities Council and the new Office of Health Equity.