Minority Health and Health Disparities Research and Education Act of 2000
President Clinton signed the Minority Health and Health Disparities Research and Education Act of 2000 on November 22, 2000 (Public Law 106-525). The Act is intended to reduce health disparities through increasing research, promoting training and education of health professionals, evaluation of data collection systems, and a national public awareness campaign. It will require the concerted efforts of numerous Federal agencies within the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), along with other public and private organizations. In particular, the Act requires the participation of the; National Institutes of Health (NIH), Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) , Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), Office of International and Refugee Health (OIRH), Office of Civil Rights (OCR), and National Academy of Sciences (NAS).
Title I of the Act elevates the Office of Research on Minority Health at the NIH to a National Center for Research on Minority Health and Health Disparities. The new Center allows NIH to provide increased programmatic and budget authority for research on minority health issues and health disparities. The Director of the Center will be the primary Federal official responsible for coordinating all minority health disparities research conducted by the NIH. In addition to supporting minority health research, the Director is to award grants or contracts to “designated biomedical and behavioral research institutions” or “consortia” for the purpose of supporting research training for minority health disparity populations. Title I also establishes contracts awarded to health professionals that agree to engage in minority health disparities research in exchange for educational loan repayment.
The Secretary of the DHHS is required to establish an advisory council to advise, assist, consult with, and make recommendations (including budgetary allocations) to the Director of the Center. Membership on the council must include representatives of communities impacted by minority and other health disparities and a diversity of health professions.
FY2001 appropriations for the new center was $130 million.
Title II of the Act authorizes additional research by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), including research and demonstrations on cultural and linguistic services. Furthermore, it requires the use of strategies that enhance the involvement of minority health researchers, training institutions, and community-based organizations.
AHRQ will develop quality of care measures that assess such factors as, access to care for minority populations, the cultural competence of the care provided, and the outcomes of care. To do this, AHRQ will examine the practices of providers that have a record of reducing health disparities, or experience in providing culturally competent health services.
Beginning with FY2003, AHRQ will submit to Congress an annual report regarding prevailing disparities in health care delivery as it relates to racial factors and socioeconomic factors in priority populations.
Title III authorizes the National Academy of Sciences to conduct a comprehensive study of the DHHS data systems and practices with regards to the collection of data on race and ethnicity, including other Federal data systems (such as the Social Security Administration) with which DHHS interacts with. The study will 1) identify additional data needs for enforcing equal access to health care, 2) examine the effectiveness of current systems, 3) provide recommendations for ensuring that DHHS, in administering all of it’s programs and activities, collects reliable and complete information relating to race and ethnicity, and 4) provide cost projections associated with these recommendations.
The report is due one year from the enactment of the legislation.
Title IV establishes grants for health professions education in health disparities and cultural competency (2001-2004). It authorizes the Health Resources and Services Administration to award grants, contracts or cooperative agreements to health professions schools, academic health centers, State or local governments, or other appropriate public or private nonprofit entities. The grants would be for training and education of health professionals for the reduction of disparities in health care outcomes and the provision of culturally competent care. The Secretary of DHHS will also convene a national conference on health professions education and health disparities within a year.
Title V charges the Secretary of DHHS with conducting a national campaign to inform the public and health care professionals about health disparities in minority and other underserved populations. In addition, the Secretary is to create a plan which will include agency-specific strategies for disseminating information and findings on health disparities.
The full text of the Act as passed by the Congress and signed by the President is available at http:// frwebgate.access .gpo.gov/cgi-bin/getdoc.cgi?dbname=106_cong_public_laws&docid =f:publ525.106. For more information about the Minority Health and Health Disparities Research and Education Act, please contact APIAHF Legislative and Governmental Affairs Coordinator, Gem Daus at gdaus@apiahf.org, or 202-624-0007.
