With evidence mounting that demonstrates the significant extent to which community health workers serve as an effective bridge between local communities and medical services, there is growing demand for greater funding, resources and support for community health professionals. Particularly where access to quality health care is less accessible, such as among underserved and rural populations, the call for community health workers has become louder than ever.
On the heels of those developments, the Community Health Worker Access Act was just proposed in the U.S. Congress as a means to bring much needed financial support to community health workers, which proponents argue would simultaneously enhance health equity in under-resourced communities throughout the nation.
The Act is designed to improve health access and medical services for individuals enrolled in Medicaid and Medicare by facilitating reimbursement for services that are offered by community health workers. Notwithstanding the heightened awareness of the crucial role community health workers play, limited funding historically has triggered challenges in maintaining a stable community healthcare workforce. The Act seeks to solve this dilemma by expanding payment eligibility for community health workers who service patients with insurance through Medicaid and Medicare.
Health equity advocates are cheering the proposed legislation as a model that should be considered for adoption in other nations as well. A summary of the proposed bill can be found here.
