Pennie was created with the promise of providing quality and accessible health coverage to all Pennsylvanians. Since its inception, Pennie has implemented several initiatives to expand access to health coverage through the marketplace, including through record levels of financial help and reducing language access barriers. The data included in this report, as explained in detail throughout, support several key takeaways that establishes not only the current status of health equity in Pennsylvania, but also the additional steps necessary to reduce health inequities.
Model aims to improve the overall health of a state population by ensuring providers are delivering efficient, high-quality, and coordinated care to patients
Today, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) unveiled a transformative step to test a state’s ability to improve the overall health care management of its state population. The States Advancing All-Payer Health Equity Approaches and Development Model (“States Advancing AHEAD” or “AHEAD Model”) aims to better address chronic disease, behavioral health, and other medical conditions. Under the AHEAD Model, participating states will be better equipped to promote health equity, increase access to primary care services, set health care expenditures on a more sustainable trajectory, and lower health care costs for patients.
Starting in 2023, Health Connector coverage will include new benefits, protections, and reduced cost-sharing to advance health equity objectives. The Health Connector is among the leaders of state-based marketplaces in leveraging its plan certification process to explicitly advance and invest in targeted health equity priorities.
Informed by state and national health policy research and data, and stakeholder engagement, Health Connector staff identified health equity concerns in the health coverage landscape and designed its 2023 Seal of Approval plan certification process to advance objectives tailored to address those equity issues.
