In a move that has sparked significant concern, President Donald Trump has directed the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to disband the Health Equity Advisory Committee. This committee was established to identify and reduce systemic barriers to healthcare access for marginalized groups, including people of color, LGBTQ+ individuals, and rural Americans. The directive, part of an executive order aimed at reducing federal bureaucracy, has been met with criticism from advocates who argue that it undermines efforts to address health disparities.
The Health Equity Advisory Committee was created under an executive order signed by President Joe Biden, with the goal of making recommendations to improve access and quality of care in CMS programs. These programs include Medicare, Medicaid, the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), and the Affordable Care Act marketplaces. The committee’s mandate included addressing structural racism, which Trump has previously labeled a “divisive concept.”
Xavier Becerra, the head of the Department of Health and Human Services under Biden, emphasized the committee’s role in tackling health disparities in underserved communities. The committee focused on groups such as Black, Latino, Indigenous, and Native American persons, Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders, religious minorities, LGBTQ+ individuals, people with disabilities, and those living in rural areas or affected by persistent poverty.
The disbandment of this committee raises concerns about the future of health equity initiatives and the potential widening of health disparities among minority communities.
See: “Trump disbands health equity advisory committee examining Medicare and Medicaid” (February 20, 2025)
