What's health equity?

Health equity means that everyone has opportunities to be as healthy as possible, including groups that were excluded in the past.

Why health equity matters

Health equity aims to eliminate barriers and inequities in access to healthcare. This helps reduce healthcare costs and create healthier communities.

 

See our care approval (prior authorization) rates for Medicare members with risk factors

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How Blue Shield of California promotes health equity

Every year, we gather data about care approvals (prior authorizations) for our Medicare members. We compare how many prior authorizations were approved or denied for members with risk factors such as disability and income. We use this data to:

  • Make sure we’re meeting health equity requirements.
  • Identify potential discrimination practices.
  • Assess the impacts of our policies on marginalized populations.
  • Inform the development of new standards and practices.

Y0118_24_424A4_M Accepted 05052025
H2819_24_424A4_M Accepted 05052025

Page last updated 1/1/2025

*Free digital copy with no obligation to enroll.

† Blue Shield Medicare Advisers are available April 1 through September 30: 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., weekdays and October 1 through March 31: 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., seven days a week.

© California Physician’s Service DBA Blue Shield of California 1999-2025. All rights reserved.

California Physician’s Service DBA Blue Shield of California is an independent member of the Blue Shield Association.

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For Blue Shield Medicare Advantage Plans: Blue Shield of California is an HMO, HMO D-SNP, PPO and a PDP plan with a Medicare contract and a contract with the California State Medicaid Program. Enrollment in Blue Shield of California depends on contract renewal.

 
 
The company complies with applicable state laws and federal civil rights laws and does not discriminate, exclude people, or treat them differently on the basis of race, color, national origin, ethnic group identification, medical condition, genetic information, ancestry, religion, sex, marital status, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, mental disability, or physical disability. La compañía cumple con las leyes de derechos civiles federales y estatales aplicables, y no discrimina, ni excluye ni trata de manera diferente a las personas por su raza, color, país de origen, identificación con determinado grupo étnico, condición médica, información genética, ascendencia, religión, sexo, estado civil, género, identidad de género, orientación sexual, edad, ni discapacidad física ni mental. 本公司遵守適用的州法律和聯邦民權法律，並且不會以種族、膚色、原國籍、族群認同、醫療狀況、遺傳資訊、血統、宗教、性別、婚姻狀況、性別認同、性取向、年齡、精神殘疾或身體殘疾而進行歧視、排斥或區別對待他人。