Health Equity
Medicaid Enrollment Touches 39% of the Residents of The District of Columbia; DC’s 70/30 FMAP is Vital for the Maintenance of Health & Human Services
A reduction in the District’s FMAP would not lead to long-term government savings and would have a ripple effect throughout the entire health system in the DMV, crippling access to care for not only Medicaid beneficiaries but also all those who live, work, and visit the District of Columbia, including members of Congress and their staffs.
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Why does DC receive an Enhanced FMAP Rate?
The DC FMAP rate of 70% established by the Revitalization Act resulted from bipartisan analysis, discussion, and negotiation by Congressional leadership aiming to balance fairness with the District’s restricted ability to generate revenue. Congress recognized that the District of Columbia faces unique financial challenges due to its non-state status and the significant amount of federally-owned land within its boundaries. The District is unable to tax non-residents’ earnings, so these workers pay no taxes to support the infrastructure and services, such as roads, public safety and emergency services that they benefit from in the District. The District is also unable to tax up to 40% of the real property within its borders due to statutory restrictions.
Why are we concerned about DC's FMAP now?
Members of Congress have proposed reducing the DC FMAP to the statutory minimum for all other states, which is currently 50% (but could be reduced even more). Such a change would impact every physician and every practice, regardless of type, location, and payers contracted. Even practices who take no insurance will not be able to send patients for specialist care, hospital admissions, or other types of care.
What can MSDC members do?
- If you know a member of Congress or staffer, reach out to them and share how DC cuts will hurt your patients.
- Share your relationships and outreach with hay@msdc.org so we can help coordinate advocacy efforts.
- Email hay@msdc.org if you would like to be paired with a physician member of Congress office and trained by MSDC staff on how to reach out.
Resources
- DC FMAP cut fact sheet
- California Medical Association fact sheet on Medicaid cuts
- MSDC and healthcare association letter to Congress arguing against DC FMAP changes.
- MSDC original story on Medicaid changes.
News, Statements, and Testimony on Health Equity Issues
Mayor Bowser, in Partnership with Johnson & Johnson Innovation, Launches the Washington, DC Health Innovation QuickFire Challenge to Spur Innovation Around Health Equity
(WASHINGTON, DC) – Today, Mayor Muriel Bowser and the Office of the Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development (DMPED), working with the Washington D.C. Economic Partnership (WDCEP) and in collaboration with Johnson & Johnson Innovation, are launching a health equity challenge that is focused on addressing chronic health care challenges in Washington, DC. Through the Washington, DC Health Innovation QuickFire Challenge, innovators from around the world are invited to submit potential science and technology solutions aimed towards addressing racial and socioeconomic disparities that impact health outcomes in communities of color. Submissions must include innovations that transform patient outcomes in maternal mortality, cardiovascular diseases and systemic autoimmunity, or kidney diseases.
“We have known, even before the pandemic laid these inequities bare, that there is urgent work to do to ensure more equitable health outcomes in our community,” said Mayor Muriel Bowser. “We are proud to have partners like Johnson & Johnson Innovation in our work to build health care systems that meet the needs of all residents, attack health disparities, and make us more resilient for the challenges that lie ahead.”
Through an existing grant, WDCEP will award up to four innovators a total of $250,000, with grant increments starting at $50,000. Awardees will also receive an invitation to reside at JLABS @ Washington, DC, a 32,000-square-foot incubator located at the new Children’s National Research & Innovation Campus in NW DC, on a portion of the former Walter Reed Army Medical Center Campus.
“Health innovation is critical to building a more equitable Washington, DC,” said Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development John Falcicchio. “This QuickFire Challenge will help develop solutions to inequalities in health care and I am excited to see the innovative developments that come out of this.”
Awardees will also receive access to mentorship, resources, and programming. With Johnson & Johnson Innovation - JLABS strategically located in Washington, DC, resident companies will benefit from this innovative ecosystem, which includes Children’s National Research Institute and Virginia Tech, with close proximity to federal research institutions and agencies, university and academic research centers, and a robust biohealth community.
With the goal to catalyze promising science within the Washington, DC ecosystem, awardees will be evaluated by an expert panel of reviewers and judges based on their ability to address these scientific gaps. Selection criteria includes the uniqueness of the idea, potential impact on human health, the feasibility of the idea, thoroughness of approach, and identification of key resources and a plan to further the idea.
The QuickFire Challenges are managed by Johnson & Johnson Innovation, with the goal to address today’s greatest health care challenges. Applications are now open. The deadline to apply for the Washington DC Health Innovation QuickFire Challenge is June 11, 2021. Find more information and apply here.
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