Advocating for Our Communities
Called by our mission of living God’s love by inspiring health, wholeness and hope and fueled by our people we aim to:
- Empower individuals to realize their health goals by delivering consumer-centric solutions.
- Promote integrated, comprehensive strategies to reform care delivery and payment to improve health and reduce costs.
- Lead transformational community movements to bring health and well-being within reach for everyone.
Our system is ready to partner with lawmakers on policies and legislation that makes these goals a reality.
The Public Affairs team helps Adventist Health deliver on our mission, execute our strategy and achieve the goals we have established through advocacy, public policy and communication.
* Includes associates, medical staff physicians, allied health professionals and volunteers
2021 Policy Priorities
Promote Community Well-Being and Personal Well-Being
- Ensure that Community Benefit regulations promote partnerships and incentivize hospitals to invest in community building activities.
- Establish equity promoting strategies that reduce social disparities and result in better well-being for all.
- Increase focus and funding on the social determinants of health with special emphasis on housing, employment, food security, education and transportation.
Advance Health Transformation and Cost-Effective Care
- Payment Innovation/Delivery Reform: Promote integrated, comprehensive strategies to reform care delivery and payment to bring down the cost to health systems and improve the well-being of our communities.
- Make permanent the telehealth waivers and flexibilities currently tied to the Public Health Emergency including hospital without walls.
Ensure Affordable Access and Coverage
- Fair and adequate Medicaid and Medicare payments and coverage: Ensure payment policies that preserve coverage for our most vulnerable populations.
- Protect the 340B drug savings program
- Improve access to mental health: Integrate mental health into medical care while improving access in community-based settings by addressing barriers, workforce shortages and mental health parity.
- Support policies that make care more affordable and accessible especially policies that focus on the uninsured and underinsured.
- Improve workforce shortages.
Protect and Build the Rural Health Safety Net
- Ensure the stability of rural hospitals and rural health clinics.
- Support policies that expand rural broadband and make it more affordable.