Toward Equity in Value Assessment
Session 3: Walking the Talk – How Should Policy Uphold Equity in Value Assessment?
Wednesday, July 14, 2021
Broad commitments to improving health equity are laudable – and long-overdue. Without a policy and regulatory environment that incentivizes change, however, commitments alone cannot succeed in improving health equity or reducing disparities in access and outcomes.
Policymakers have the opportunity to affect real change, but in the decentralized, market-driven U.S. healthcare system, the path forward is far from clear. In particular, interest in formalizing the use of economic evaluations in coverage and reimbursement decisions is growing, presenting both a quandary and an opportunity.
What policy actions are needed to incentivize changes in the behavior of organizations and individuals that will reduce disparities – and what are the key decisions to target? What role should value assessments play in shaping the decisions that determine access and outcomes?
Jennifer Bright, MPA (Moderator)
Center for Innovation & Value Research
Phylicia L. Woods, JD, MSW
Cancer Support Community
As Executive Director of Cancer Policy Institute at the Cancer Support Community, Phylicia Woods is responsible for legislative, regulatory, policy, and research priorities as well as operations, fundraising, and management. She previously served as Director of Federal Relations at the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network; Counsel to Former U.S. Senator Claire McCaskill on U.S. Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee and Health Counsel on U.S. Senate Special Committee on Aging.
Jessica Brooks, MPM, PHR
Pittsburgh Business Group on Health
In her role as CEO and Executive Director, Ms. Brooks is leading the effort to redefine and advance the discussion around health care value, access, and quality on behalf of employers. Investigating shortfalls within the health benefits ecosystem has led her to recognize the enormous potential in employer collaboration to make large-scale decisions and ultimately transform health care. Ms. Brooks is also the founder of US Health Desk.
Joshua M. Liao, MD, MSc, FACP
University of Washington, School of Medicine
Dr. Liao is a board-certified internal medicine physician and national expert on payment and related delivery reform. He is an Associate Professor in the University of Washington School of Medicine, where he also directs the Value and Systems Science Lab, dedicated to improving health care by transforming ideas and data into actionable insight about how we finance, deliver, and make decisions about health care. He is also the Medical Director of Payment Strategy at UW Medicine.