In a move aimed at tackling health inequities, New York state is proposing a new rule that would require health insurance plans to collect demographic information from their members. The initiative, announced by the state Department of Financial Services, seeks to gather data on race, ethnicity, gender, preferred language, and sexual orientation from New Yorkers as they sign up for or renew their insurance coverage.
Adrienne Harris (above), superintendent of the Department of Financial Services, emphasized the importance of focusing on the commercial insurance market to address health equity. “When people do health equity policy, they really focus on the public plans, Medicare and Medicaid,” Harris said. “There isn’t as much focus on the commercial insurance market, which I thought was really a missed opportunity.”
The collected data could help insurers identify gaps in care access and address the specific needs of different communities. For instance, it might reveal a shortage of healthcare providers with certain language skills or cultural competencies within a health plan’s network.
Elisabeth Benjamin, vice president of health initiatives at the Community Service Society of New York, highlighted how this data could be used proactively. She suggested that if a carrier identifies a large population of African American women of childbearing age in a specific area, they could ensure adequate labor and delivery services are available.
To protect against potential misuse, the draft regulations include safeguards against insurance discrimination and unauthorized data sharing. The state Health Plan Association has yet to comment on the proposed rule, which will undergo a 70-day public comment period before possible revisions and finalization.
See “NY orders health plans to collect info on race, sexual orientation, gender” (September 26, 2023)
