Manatt Health Director Mandy Ferguson was quoted in a Law360 article on how the health care industry is combatting the heat health crisis and addressing social determinants of health to promote equitable care.
With the increased health detriments of extreme heat, many organizations and government agencies nationwide are taking measures to help protect people. Areas unfamiliar to extreme heat with no in-house cooling systems are at increased risk of danger, as well as low-income residents with lack of stable housing, limited access to cooling and higher rates of diseases, according to the article. “Medicaid enrollees, low-income by definition, are likely to bear the brunt of adverse, heat-related illness,” Ferguson said.
Oregon has established a program which utilizes Medicaid to provide free air conditioning systems to qualified beneficiaries, for example. Beyond the Medicaid program, many states are finding their own ways to tackle the heat issue. [Providing] “options to alleviate the health impacts of extreme heat is attracting more interest from states, health insurers, hospitals and providers,” Ferguson said.
Law360 subscribers can read the full article here.