National Minority Health Association

According to an NPR report from May 30, 2020:
- Nationally, African-American deaths from COVID-19 are nearly two times greater than would be expected based on their share of the population. In four states, the rate is three or more times greater.
- In 42 states plus Washington D.C., Hispanics/Latinos make up a greater share of confirmed cases than their share of the population. In eight states, it’s more than four times greater.
- White deaths from COVID-19 are lower than their share of the population in 37 states and the District of Columbia.

These are just a few of the many examples of the glaring disparities for which Operation Healthy You™ was developed. The program addresses the broader, underlying, and structural issues that make minorities more susceptible to these kinds of health issues, as well as those personal traits that hinder recovery or reduce the potential for beneficial healthcare outcomes.

Operation Healthy You™ through LivBetter™ will help underserved minorities better utilize the healthcare system to their advantage. Based on over 540 peer-reviewed research studies, the proprietary protocols used by Operation Healthy You™ will help identify areas of disparity and how they affect minority communities. It’s a process called “health activation” and its remarkability powerful. The same methodology is used by CMS, endorsed by NIH and NCQA, among others.

The Eight Key Causes of Disparity
in Minority Health Care

1. Lack of affordable quality and variety of food across food groups
2. Lack of adequate healthcare resources
3. Lack of proper healthcare education with an emphasis on issues that face minority populations
4. Lack of access to proper pharmacy services
5. Lack of money, time, and/or financial wherewithal to obtain needed services
6. Lack of understanding of language & cultural differences/sensitivities
7. Lack of literacy to understand the meaning of healthcare advice
8. Lack of adequate quality of care in underserved communities

One aspect of the program is the determination of a metric called the Patient Activation Measurement (PAM ) for all program participants. This metric identifies both easily observed disparities along with latent disparities that are often overlooked because they may be so ubiquitous they are no longer even perceived as a problem, but rather just a fact of life (e.g., food deserts).

Evidence has shown that by identifying and addressing these needs that the total cost of health care over the lifetime of a participant can be dramatically reduced.

NMHA will partner with community businesses to highlight and address these eight areas of disparity.