Consumer Engagement and Health Equity

The core three-part aim of the state’s healthcare system transformation work is better care, better health and lower cost.  In Maryland, this includes: ongoing work of the Health Services Cost Review Commission (“HSCRC” or “Commission”) to modernize Maryland’s unique all-payer rate-setting system for hospital services—also known as the Total Cost of Care Model (TCOC Model); and, the work of the Maryland Department of Health (MDH).  To date, HSCRC and MDH have worked with one another along with broad groups of public stakeholders to plan and implement each of their transformation initiatives.

HSCRC is, therefore, re-establishing the Consumer Standing Advisory Committee (CSAC) that builds on the consumer engagement to date, including the CSAC that meet during the prior All-Payer Model.  Members of the CSAC are appointed based upon their expertise, their potential contribution to the scope of work defined for the Committee, and the need for input from important stakeholder perspectives.​

2020 CSAC Goals

• Ensure the consumer perspective is reflected in, and remains central to the TCOC Model, include:
• Promoting a broad understanding about the TCOC Model and its impact on improving health and health care for consumers/patients; and
• Gather input from patients and consumers and represent their voices to ensure that the perspectives of patients / consumers are used to inform the design and management of state policies related to the TCOC Model.
• Throughout 2020, the CSAC will narrow their focus to consider the benefit that Maryland hospitals operating under the TCOC Model create within their communities. This will include:
• The amount of community benefit dollars that hospitals are spending in their communities;
• Ensuring that a community and consumer perspective is included in understanding community health needs and assessing the extent to which community benefit spending addresses those community health needs and population health.

The CSAC may also discuss patient stories related to the consumer experience in Maryland that may help inform HSCRC policies related to topics that impact consumers.

​Health Equity

What is health equity?

[Health equity is] the attainment of the highest level of health for all people, where everyone has a fair and just opportunity to attain their optimal health regardless of race, ethnicity, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, socioeconomic status, geography, preferred language, or other factors that affect access to care and health outcomes. (Source: CMS)

Health Equity at the HSCRC

The HSCRC is committed to addressing disparities in all policies.  To achieve this commitment, the HSCRC is working to collect better data, train staff, and collaborate with other State agencies to ensure Maryland eliminates long-standing health disparities and achieves a more equitable healthcare system. HSCRC has implemented a multifaceted Health Equity Strategy.

The Health Equity Measurement Workgroup:

The HSCRC is committed to assisting hospitals advance health equity, a goal that is integral to the mission of improving healthcare quality. To achieve this goal, the HSCRC's Quality team will convene a Health Equity Workgroup (HEW) during the Summer of 2022 with a goal of addressing health disparities in all pay-for-performance hospital quality programs. This workgroup will be responsible for suggesting new measures and/or offering suggestions on how to modify existing measures and programs to address health equity and social determinants of health (SDoH). Members of the Health Equity Workgroup are selected based upon their expertise, their potential contribution to the scope of the work defined for the Workgroup, and the need for input from important stakeholder perspectives.

2022 HEW Goals

• Glean healthcare quality disparities experienced by Maryland's residents within the HSCRC's quality pay-for-performance programs through the stratification of quality measure outcomes by social demographic variables of interest such as race, geography, and socio-economic status, etc
• Identify methodological approaches to measuring health equity in Maryland's hospital quality programs
• Evaluate measures and programs specifically for their impact on health equity and share data and “lessons learned" to inform future work
• Strengthen SDoH data collection and utilization in population health management 
  

CSAC Meetings:

• Meetings are anticipated to be 2-3 hours in duration and to be convened every two three months; meeting dates and times for the following year will be set in advance.
• Meeting participation options include in-person at the HSCRC office, or via conference call and webinar.

Consumer Standing Advisory Committee Membership

The HSCRC and DHMH have appointed a diverse group of individuals to serve on the Consumer Standing Advisory Committee. The current list of workgroup members is available CSAC Roster​

Meeting Schedule and Documents

​Dates and L​​ocation	​Meeting Materials
December 2, 2020 3-5 PM​​ Virtual meeting​​​​​	​Registration - https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/5218863138055596811   After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar.​
November 16, 2020 3-5 PM Virtual meeting​​​	CSAC Slides ​ Maryland Hospital Assosication CHNA Recommended Practices - Draft for Comment by 11/27 Webinar Recording
​September 30, 2020 3-5 PM Virtual meeting​​	​CANCELLED
​August 26, 2020 3-5 PM Virtual meeting	CSAC Slides  Webinar Recording
July 22nd, 2020 3-5 PM Virtual meeting	2020 CSAC Roster - Updated  CSAC Slides  Webinar Recording​
January 24, 2020 9:30 AM -12:30 PM​ HSCRC	2020 Roster ​ 2020 CSAC Charge CSAC Slides​ Webinar Recording ​
​December 14, 2016 9:30 - 11:30 AM HSCRC	​Agenda CSAC Slides
​March 1, 2017 3:00 - 5:00 PM HSCRC	Agenda CSAC Slides
May 3, 2017 9:30-11:30 AM HSCRC​	Agenda CRISP Presentation ​Webinar Recording
​July 5, 2017 9:30 - 11:30 AM HSCRC	​Agenda for CSAC July 5 2017 HSCRC  MDH CSAC Scope and Charge            Webinar Recording
September 6, 2017 9:30 - 11:30 AM HSCRC​	​      1. Agenda for CSAC September 6, 2017       2. Slide Presentation       3. HSCRC-MDH Scope & Charge Document for CSAC       4. MDH Comprehensive Primary Care Model Update       5. Presentation from JHHS Care Integration - Dr. Constantine Lyketsos                 Webinar Recording
​November 1, 2017 9:30 - 11:30 AM HSCRC	Agenda for CSAC November 1, 2017 HSCRC "Measuring Hospital Quality" Presentation HSCRC TCOC Update Presentation Update on MD Primary Care Program             Webinar Recording

  

Public Comments Submitted to the Consumer Standing Advisory Committee

The Committee will reserve time at the end of each meeting for brief comments and questions from the public. The public is also encouraged to submit written comments related to C-SAC initiatives to: hscrc.csac@maryland.gov​