Running Head: OPEN COMMENT LETTER 1 OPEN COMMENT LETTER 5 Open Comment Letter – Draft Copy [NAME] [ADDRESS] [DATE] [THE COUNCIL AUTHORS OF LEGISLATION] [ADDRESS] Dear Sir/Madam, I am writing to address issues that are related to health disparities as well as the legislation that can be implemented to help in dealing with the vice. Overview Health disparities refer to the differences that may arise in the health status of different groups of persons. Factors such as race, gender, social class, disability, and sexual orientation may contribute to health disparities. The issue of racial discrimination has been a major contributor of health disparities across the U.S., with 47% of individuals from the African American and Latina population complaining of poor medical care and treatment. The aged population has also been affected directly by the issue of health disparity, with most of them having to face the challenges of poor medical care. In the quest of dealing with the issue of health disparities, it is vital to employ the use of the health equity legislation act. The Health Equity and Accountability Act of 2014 was passed by the Congress to help in addressing the issues of health disparities across the U.S. Intended Consequences of the Legislation The implementation of the Health Equity and Accountability Act of 2014 will help in addressing the issue of health disparity across the U.S. First and foremost, the legislative act will call for the equal medical care and treatment to all individuals, irrespective of their gender, race, and social class. The piece of legislation will call for the medical practitioners to be on the frontline in providing the necessary treatments to these vulnerable groups (Braveman et al., 2011). Moreover, it will be a requirement for all the healthcare organizations across the U.S. to come up with healthcare disparities programs that will aim at educating the medical practitioners in providing equal treatments to all individuals. Specific medical attention will be provided to the elderly, to help them lead normal lives. Interpretation of the Major Tenets of Legislation As for the health practitioners, it will be a requirement for them to ensure that they provide equal medical care to all the patients. Moreover, the health equality act will help the health practitioners come up with suitable decisions on how to handle all patients equally without discriminating against them (Laurencin, 2014). As for the consumers of the healthcare services, by having an idea of the legislation, they will be able to fight for their rights. In the event of health disparities, they will have an idea of how to handle the issue, as well as the personnel that they will be able to approach and address their issues. Summary of the Logical Interpretation of the Legislation The Health Equity and Accountability Act will aim at addressing the issues of health disparities within the health organizations across the U.S. The member of the ...

1. Running Head: OPEN COMMENT LETTER 1
OPEN COMMENT LETTER 5
Open Comment Letter – Draft Copy
[NAME]
[ADDRESS]
[DATE]
[THE COUNCIL AUTHORS OF LEGISLATION]
[ADDRESS]
Dear Sir/Madam,
I am writing to address issues that are related to health
disparities as well as the legislation that can be implemented to
help in dealing with the vice.
Overview
Health disparities refer to the differences that may arise in
the health status of different groups of persons. Factors such as
race, gender, social class, disability, and sexual orientation may
contribute to health disparities. The issue of racial
discrimination has been a major contributor of health disparities
across the U.S., with 47% of individuals from the African
American and Latina population complaining of poor medical
care and treatment. The aged population has also been affected
directly by the issue of health disparity, with most of them
having to face the challenges of poor medical care. In the quest
of dealing with the issue of health disparities, it is vital to
employ the use of the health equity legislation act. The Health
Equity and Accountability Act of 2014 was passed by the
Congress to help in addressing the issues of health disparities
across the U.S.
Intended Consequences of the Legislation
The implementation of the Health Equity and
Accountability Act of 2014 will help in addressing the issue of
health disparity across the U.S. First and foremost, the

2. legislative act will call for the equal medical care and treatment
to all individuals, irrespective of their gender, race, and social
class. The piece of legislation will call for the medical
practitioners to be on the frontline in providing the necessary
treatments to these vulnerable groups (Braveman et al., 2011).
Moreover, it will be a requirement for all the healthcare
organizations across the U.S. to come up with healthcare
disparities programs that will aim at educating the medical
practitioners in providing equal treatments to all individuals.
Specific medical attention will be provided to the elderly, to
help them lead normal lives.
Interpretation of the Major Tenets of Legislation
As for the health practitioners, it will be a requirement for
them to ensure that they provide equal medical care to all the
patients. Moreover, the health equality act will help the health
practitioners come up with suitable decisions on how to handle
all patients equally without discriminating against them
(Laurencin, 2014). As for the consumers of the healthcare
services, by having an idea of the legislation, they will be able
to fight for their rights. In the event of health disparities, they
will have an idea of how to handle the issue, as well as the
personnel that they will be able to approach and address their
issues.
Summary of the Logical Interpretation of the Legislation
The Health Equity and Accountability Act will aim at
addressing the issues of health disparities within the health
organizations across the U.S. The member of the congress will
be required to stress his commitment to the health equity, and
this will be evident through his or her urge to help me in
conducting population-specific, community-based participatory
research; establishing health education programs for special
populations; and promoting the inclusion of minority and
discriminated groups in clinical trials (Laurencin, 2014). Based
on the legislative act, all the healthcare facilities will be
required to ensure that they provide adequate medical support to
vulnerable populations, and this will be possible if the member

3. of the congress will facilitate the application of the Act.
The Outcomes of Legislation
The implementation of the health equity legislation will
help in dealing with the issue of health disparities. As a
congress member, it will be his or her role to ensure that he or
she stresses to the other members of the congress on the
importance implementing the legislative act within the health
care organization (Anderson, 2011). Once the healthcare center
starts applying the legislation, some of the outcomes that will
be witnessed will include an improvement in the level of
medical care and treatment to those vulnerable groups that
initially faced the problem of medical discrimination. The
legislation will also help in improving the work diversity of the
healthcare practitioners within the health organization, and this
will, in a bigger picture, help to improve their performance and
working relations.
Key Health Issue
The reduction of the costs of medical and healthcare
services can help in addressing the issue of health disparities.
The reduction of the costs of these services means that people
from the disadvantaged social classes will be able to meet their
healthcare needs. By reducing the costs of medical care services
and ensuring that health practitioners go through a health
disparity program, all patients will receive equal healthcare
services irrespective of their gender, age, or race. Moreover, by
reducing the demand for the healthcare services, it will be
easier to implement the legislation on health equity.
Impact of Legislation
The implementation of the health equity legislative act will
have a direct effect on the financial health of providers working
for the military or government-sponsored care financing models.
The implementation of the health equity act is aimed at ensuring
that all patients receive equal medical treatment. Both military
and government-sponsored care organizations will have to come
up with health disparities programs, and this will require that
funds are also set aside for these programs.

4. Proposals to the Socioeconomic Determinants of Health
Some of the socioeconomic determinants of health include
poverty, education, and diversity. There are various changes
that can be made to the health equity legislation act to directly
affect the socioeconomic determinants of health (Anderson,
2011). Some of these changes include ensuring that all the
organizations abide by the legislation. Failure to abide will lead
to organizations having their licenses withdrawn. These changes
will also ensure that the legislation solely focuses on the aspect
of socioeconomics about health. The health organizations will
have to ensure that they come up with programs that will aim at
ensuring that all the medical practitioners are trained on how to
apply the health equity act. Once these medical practitioners
undergo the training, they will ensure that they administer equal
medical care to people from all races.
I would appreciate if the legislation could be implemented
within the shortest time possible to help in addressing the issues
of health disparities.
Yours sincerely,
[SIGNATURE]References
Anderson, K. (2011). State and local policy initiatives to reduce
health disparities. Washington, DC: National Academic Press.
Braveman, P. A., Kumanyika, S., Fieldin, J., LaVeist, T.,
Borrell, L. N., Manderscheid, R., & Troutman, A. (2011).
Health disparities and health equity: The issue is justice.
American Journal of Public Health, 10(1), S149-S155.
Laurencin, C. T. (2014). Racial and ethnic health disparities: A
way forward. Journal of Racial and Ethnic Health Disparities,
1(1), 1. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s40615-014-0013-7
Your Name and Address
Date___________________

5. The Honorable ____________
Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510-1605
Dear:_______________________
My name is ____________ and I reside in ___________. I am
writing this letter to ask that you support H.R. 3590: The
Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA) and, more
specifically, the legislation specifically affecting the quality of
healthcare. As a university student pursuing a bachelor’s degree
in healthcare administration and an employee of one of our
local health care systems, this issue is of utmost concern to me.
I support H.R. 3590 because the quality of healthcare affects the
residents of this state, as well as the entire population of the
United States.
I would like to bring to your attention a number of the
important tenets of the legislation. “The ACO shall be willing
to become accountable for the quality, cost, and overall care of
the Medicare fee-for-service beneficiaries assigned to it” (The
Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010). The ACO
must develop a common vision and missional values in order to
deliver quality services to a defined population. By committing
to collectively improving performance through shared health
records and open communication, ACOs will provide better care
by decreasing unnecessary duplication of diagnostic procedures
and treatment. The reduction of repetitive tests reduces waste
and increases efficiency by coordinating patient care among
healthcare providers.
Another care model addressed in the ACA is Patient-Centered
Medical Homes (PCMH). Better access to providers and quality
of care improves when physician-led teams of healthcare
professionals work with patients to monitor their health needs.
Conditions such as diabetes, hypertension, and heart disease can

6. be managed more effectively by this proactive approach. With
the alternative care models, health problems are addressed
earlier, which subsequently reduces emergency room visits and
hospitalizations, which historically is done as a reactive
approach.
Another quality benefit of the ACA is the prevention and
wellness programs. What makes these programs so attractive is
that they provide waived or reduced copayments and
deductibles. By offering annual physical examinations, prenatal
care, well-baby checks and immunizations, patients are more
inclined to seek preventive care without fear of additional out-
of-pocket expense. All of these mandates promote and improve
the population’s overall quality of care.
Now I am confident that you will agree that these measures
improve the quality of one’s health, but we must also
acknowledge that this legislation comes at a cost. This
legislation will impact reimbursement for healthcare providers
by shifting payment from a fee-for-service methodology. which
rewards providers for the quantity of services performed, to a
quality-based payment system. Financial incentives will be paid
for quality measures and managing care, which reduce the
number of tests, medications, and procedures performed.
Hospital systems, whether operating as a for-profit, not-for-
profit, military, or government-sponsored care model, will
benefit from this legislation. Whether quality improvement
results from a reduction in medical errors, cost control
measures, increased efficiency, or healthcare promotion, all
hospital systems benefit in some way. An efficient hospital
system benefits by reducing cost to society as a whole, to
payers, and to consumers. Profits can be used to finance
advancements in medical research, technology, and to provide
other healthcare services to the population.
Poor quality of healthcare is costing society dearly. By

7. improving quality of care, more efficiency means less waste and
increased patient safety and patient satisfaction. This benefits
our community, our state, and our country. I appreciate your
service and commitment to the citizens of our great state of
____________ and beseech you to support this legislation.
Signed:______________________References
Andel, S., Davidow, S., Hollander, M., & Moreno, D. (2012).
The economics of health care quality and medical errors.
Journal of Health Care Finance, 39(1). Retrieved from
http:/wolterskluwerlb.com/health/resource-
center/articles/2012/10/economics-health-care-quality-and-
medical-errors
Jarousse, L. (2014). Take a look at how market forces will
impact health care. Retrieved from
http://www.hhnmag.com/articles/4012-take-a-look-at-how-
market-forces-will-impact-health-care
Orszag, P. (2016). U.S. health care reform cost containment and
improvement in quality. JAMA, 316(5), 493–495. doi:
10.1001/jama.2016.9876.
Sebelius, K. (2013, March 13). The affordable care act at three:
Paying for quality saves health care dollars. Retrieved from
http://healthaffairs.org/blog/2013/03/20/the-affordable-care-act-
at-three-paying-for-quality-saves-health-care-dollars/
The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2013 §3022,
42 U.S.C. §1395 (2013). Retrieved from
https://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/BILLS-
111hr3590enr/pdf/BILLS-111hr3590enr.pdf