FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
20 February 2025
Contact: Liam Forsythe
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, U.S. Congresswoman Nanette Barragán (CA-44), a member of the Energy & Commerce Subcommittee on Health, led 19 of her colleagues in a letter urging the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to reinstate the collection of demographic data and requirement for health equity plans at the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation (CMMI).
CMMI develops and tests health care payment and service delivery models to improve patient care, lower costs, and align payment systems to promote patient-centered practices in Medicare, Medicaid, and Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP).
On Tuesday, February 11, 2025, CMMI announced it would no longer collect data from its payment model participants on race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender identity, and preferred language, and that it would remove all requirements for CMMI payment models to submit health equity plans, which are aimed at measuring and addressing health disparities.
“The Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation plays a vital role in lowering costs for the healthcare system and ensuring our communities receive the quality care they deserve,” said Rep. Barragán. “Demographic data, such as data on race and ethnicity, is an essential resource for identifying and addressing inequities. This information can be used to make our healthcare system more efficient and improve the health of underserved communities, benefiting all of us. I urge the Trump Administration to swiftly reverse course and take action to ensure that everyone has the opportunity to live a long, healthy life regardless of their background.”
“Community Catalyst is deeply concerned about CMMI’s decision to stop collecting data on race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender identity, and preferred language. This move disregards progress from initiatives like the AHC Model, which improved access to services and addressed health-related social needs for historically excluded communities. Data showed that Black, Hispanic, and other non-white Medicare beneficiaries who engaged with navigation services experienced lower Medicare costs, fewer emergency visits, and reduced hospital admissions,” said Brandon G. Wilson, interim co-president & CEO at Community Catalyst. “Health care is rapidly changing, but too often, those most affected—especially communities long harmed by systemic racism, classism, and other forms of oppression—are left out of decisions about their care. Health innovations can’t succeed without centering these voices from the start. Without data on diverse populations, resources risk being allocated toward models that fail to reflect their true effectiveness or value for all—undermining both cost-effectiveness and quality improvement. Ending this data collection hinders CMMI’s ability to identify what works, ultimately increasing costs without delivering better care. CMMI must prioritize inclusive data to achieve better coverage, better care, and better health for everyone.”
In addition to urging HHS and CMS to immediately rescind these changes, the letter requests specific information on the cost implications of these decisions to determine the impact on beneficiaries and their caregivers.
In addition to Barragán, the letter is signed by Reps. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick (FL-20), Gilbert Cisneros (CA-31), Yvette Clarke (NY-09), Emanuel Cleaver (MO-05), Adriano Espaillat (NY-13), Dwight Evans (PA-03), Jesús “Chuy” García (IL-04), Pramila Jayapal (WA-07), Robin Kelly (IL-02), Ted Lieu (CA-36), LaMonica McIver (NJ-10), Grace Meng (NY-06), Dave Min (CA-47), Eleanor Holmes Norton (DC-00), Terri Sewell (AL-07), Darren Soto (FL-09), Shri Thanedar (MI-13), Jill Tokuda (HI-02), and Bonnie Watson Coleman (NJ-12).
The letter is endorsed by Community Catalyst.
The full text of the letter can be found here.
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Congressmember Nanette Barragán represents California’s 44th District. She sits on the House Energy and Commerce Committee and works on environmental justice, healthcare, and digital equity issues.