Barragán Reintroduces Bill to Address Health Disparities by Improving the Social Determinants of Health

Press Release

COVID-19 highlights a disturbing trend we see in almost all public health crises: the consequences are most severe in low-income and minority communities. To explore and address the social factors that drive these disparities, today Congresswoman Nanette Diaz Barragán reintroduced the Improving Social Determinants of Health Act.

"The COVID-19 crisis affects all of us, but it is the latest disease to infect and kill Latinos and African-Americans at higher rates than people in the rest of the population. I have seen what this crisis is doing to communities in my district, especially those that are low-income and don't have access to the services they need," Congresswoman Nanette Diaz Barragán said. "The Improving Social Determinants of Health Act will examine the social, economic and environmental factors that drive this inequality and fund programs that address these issues."

Social factors -- like housing conditions, employment status, food security, environmental safety, and educational opportunity -- all play a role in determining individuals' physical health and well-being. Barragán's bill aims to address these issues in a coordinated way as they drive inequalities in the health of individuals and communities.

The legislation would create a new Social Determinants of Health (SDOH) program at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Through grants and guidance, this program would empower public health departments and community organizations to lead efforts to build integrated systems that research and address the social factors that negatively impact health in their regions.

The SDOH program would:
Coordinate across CDC to ensure programs consider and incorporate SDOH in grants and activities.
Award grants to state, local, territorial, and Tribal health agencies and organizations to address SDOHs in target communities.
Award grants to nonprofit organizations and institutions of higher education to conduct research on SDOH best practices; provide technical assistance, training and evaluation assistance to target community grantees; and disseminate best practices.
Coordinate, support, and align SDOH activities of other agencies, such as CMS and others.
Collect and analyze data related to SDOH activities.
The bill is supported by more than 339 national state and local organizations focused on public health, led by Trust for America's Health (TFAH).

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