COVID-19 brought health inequities into stark relief. This pandemic brought to light significant disparities in healthcare access and outcomes. Disparities that have always been there. Health inequities are not due to individual choice or random occurrence, but instead are a result of poverty, structural racism, and discrimination. These disparities cannot continue. During the pandemic, payers, providers, employers, and government came together to meet the need. COVID-19 was a year long crisis, and our industry rose to the challenge to protect the health and lives within their communities. From remote monitoring to reimbursement. And from drive-through testing to telehealth. The industry became a champion of innovation and empathy. Health inequity is a risk as great as any of it, but we have the tools, the partnerships, and the will to address it together. We can address this bias in our own organizations, by listening to the diverse voices within, and building the teams that best connect to the people we serve.

We can build a consumer experience that eradicates seen and unseen barriers, creating ecosystems that meet people when and where they need us. We can build the intelligence and relationships capable of continually improving clinical outcomes until they are in fact equal. This is our industry challenge to solve. We are working across our country to identify where health disparities are occurring. We are embedding health equity in every decision we make, and every product or service we deliver. Health equity is at the very core of our mission, to help people live healthier lives, and help make the health system work better for everyone. We invite you to join us in this effort.