Health equity has become a topic of increased awareness and interest in the last several years, and CMS has most assuredly taken notice. Before you think that this is not my practice, not my concern, and not something I have to worry about, it’s best to be informed of what health equity is, what CMS is doing about it, and why health equity matters at your practice.

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services have advanced value based care significantly in the last several years, and in a somewhat expected, yet bold move in October 2021, specifically said that they expect all traditional Medicare beneficiaries to be treated by a provider in a value-based care model by 2030. CMS rarely uses such superlative terms (all traditional Medicare beneficiaries), and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Innovation Center (CMMI) has five stated strategic objectives to achieve this massive undertaking.