Bill Aims To Tackle Healthcare Disparities

MARYLAND. – During the pandemic, racial inequities were highlighted when it came to access to health care.

Now Maryland is set to address that with a senate bill that will require bias training for health care workers.

Under Senate Bill 5,  a Cultural and Linguistic Health Care Professional Competency Program would also be offered to those workers.

Also, Maryland Department of health would have to expand their Health Care Disparities Report Card.  The updated report would have to be published every year starting in 2023.

Co-sponsor Senator Addie Eckardt says increasing awareness around cultural differences would only serve to better health care for all Marylanders. “Because we all bring those unique differences that make us richer because of those differences and appreciation of that difference means that we bring more to the table in our problem solving,” said Senator Eckardt.

The bill also requires the governor to set aside almost  $1.8 million dollars of the annual budget.  That money would go to the Office of Minority health and health Disparities starting in Fiscal year 2021.