Tuesday, December 3, 2024
Pre-Conference Sessions
SESSION 1
Promoting Health Equity Through Prescription Medications
Sponsored by Amgen, Inc. USA
This session explored how Prescription Drug Affordability Boards (PDABs) impact access to prescription medications in Black communities. Highlights of the session include:
- Upper payment limits established by PDABs may threaten access to prescription medications.
- There is an absence of representation of Black individuals and persons living with chronic disease within PDABs.
- There is an absence of data which demonstrate the cost-effectiveness of PDABs.
SESSION 2
The Gig Economy and the Future of Work: Shaping Public Policy for a Changing Workforce
Sponsored by Arise
This session explored how legislators can shape the future of work policies that offer flexibility, economic opportunity and entrepreneurial growth in communities of color. Highlights from the session include:
- 64 million Americans—or 38% of the U.S. workforce—freelanced in 2023. 87% of Arise users are female, and a majority of them are people of color motivated by the freedom and flexibility in addition to the money and financial rewards.
- Driven by economic market forces, the gig economy continues to grow due to a number of factors, including technological advancements, shifts in workplace preferences, demand for cost efficiency, and economic necessity, among others.
- Skilled and educated workers choose gig work for potential for future growth as well as high job satisfaction and earning potential.
- State regulations surrounding the industry are fractured and outdated. Legislators are encouraged to research state definitions of “employee” and “contractor,” understand what balance tests their state requires, and commission economic impact studies on contributions from the gig economy.
SESSION 3
Telling the Whole Story: Comprehensive Screening for Chronic Kidney Disease
Sponsored by Boehringer Ingelheim
This session examined how changes in routine health care visits can implore early detection and health outcomes related to chronic kidney disease. Highlights of the session include:
- Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) care consumes a significant share of health care resources. Dialysis alone accounts for 1% of the federal budget—meaning one cent of every federal dollar funds this essential treatment. Beyond the financial toll, CKD profoundly disrupts lives, often forcing patients out of the workforce. While some qualify for disability benefits, this often comes at the expense of financial independence and stability.
- Screening should be standard care, especially for high-risk populations like Black Americans, who face the highest lifetime risk of kidney failure. Testing must go beyond diabetes markers to include broader health indicators.
- Community clinics are critical for early detection and require more resources to offer affordable screenings, patient education, and care coordination. Programs like Medicare Incentive Payment Systems (MIPS) should encourage early diagnosis and proactive care.
SESSION 4
Elevating Black Brilliance: Reimagining an Education Ecosystem to Truly Support Our Future
Sponsored by EdChoice
This session explored policy options to improve educational attainment among Black youth. Highlights from this session include:
- 75% of Black Parent support charter schools, 80% support vouchers and 74% support Education Savings Accounts (ESA).
- 38% of Black parents said education should change and go in a different direction. Only 24% said education should go back to pre-pandemic ways, while 23% said it should stay in its current form.
- 54% of Black parents preferred some form of a hybrid learning schedule for their child. On the other hand, 46% of Black parents prefer the traditional school schedule of learning 5 days per week at school.
SESSION 5
Innovative Policies to Address Sickle Cell Disease
Sponsored by Pfizer
This session explored policy options to improve health care delivery and outcomes among Black populations living with Sickle Cell Disease.
- Access to hematologists is a major challenge, and sickle cell patients often prefer alternative care options like day hospitals or infusion facilities instead of traditional hospitals due to stigma and a lack of understanding.
- The development of sickle cell treatments has been slow, with significant advancements only occurring in recent decades, while other fields like COVID-19 vaccination saw rapid innovation in comparison.
- Mental health support and holistic care are critical for sickle cell patients, with the need for wraparound services, better insurance coverage and more specialized practitioners.
- Education on sickle cell disease is insufficient, requiring continuous outreach for families, educators and employees to increase awareness and reduce stigma.
SESSION 6
Enhancing the Power of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion with Accessibility
In Partnership With State Exchange on Employment & Disability (SEED)
This session reviewed strategies employed by current state legislators to enhance DEI efforts by fusing considerations for disability and accessibility. Highlights from the session include:
- Prevalence and Workforce Impact: Over 568,000 individuals with disabilities hold jobs across public, private, and nonprofit sectors. Equity and inclusion for this population are essential to fostering a society where everyone can thrive.
- Addressing Pay Equity: Individuals with disabilities often receive substantially lower wages and are relegated to marginalized segments of the workforce. Addressing this disparity is vital to achieving workplace equity.
- State and Community Initiatives: Programs like the State Exchange on Employment and Disability (SEED) and local peer-to-peer learning opportunities promote collaboration to improve employment and inclusion for people with disabilities.
- Leveraging Community Networks: Oklahoma Representative Ajay Pittman shared how she uses the 81 churches in her district as hubs for peer support, training, and outreach, empowering individuals with disabilities.
- State Leadership in Workforce Equity: In 2020, Illinois began reviewing existing, stalled legislation to enhance quality of life by addressing key pillars:
- Criminal justice reform
- Education and workforce development
Economic access, equity and opportunity - Healthcare and human services
Check back tomorrow for additional highlights of NBCSL’s 48th Annual Legislative Conference.