By Regina Martinez-Estela, above
In reading Governor Kathy Hochul’s 2024 State of the State, I was pleased to read that Governor Hochul noted that in striving to expand access to primary care for adults with complex needs, the State will “increase support for healthcare providers serving individuals with physical, intellectual, or developmental disabilities.” I commend the Governor’s commitment to improving access to quality care for those with physical disabilities—something that is tremendously needed in our State.
At Independence Care System (ICS), our top priority is to serve people with physical disabilities to support their health, mobility and independence and to ensure for the coordination of care they need to thrive. We applaud the Governor’s efforts to support one of the country’s most vulnerable, underserved populations. People with physical disabilities face health disparities that are exacerbated by racial, ethnic and gender health disparities as well as implicit bias barriers and challenges with securing necessary, primary care and services to live quality lives.
In 2019, ICS launched the Primary Care Program for People with Physical Disabilities with crucial funding from the New York City Council. With a dedicated team of physicians and administrators from NYC Health + Hospitals (H+H), ICS is leading a ground breaking project to improve access to disability competent primary care by working with patients with disabilities and their providers to understand the accommodation needs of patients and the training gap for providers. Disability competent primary care helps reduce utilization of emergency rooms and clinic visits, allows for comprehensive physical exams and helps address vast health disparities.
Efforts on the State level will make a difference in ensuring Medicaid members—including ICS members—are more likely to have accessible primary care, receive routine, quality health services and manage their medical issues and concerns. We need to do everything we can to reduce high rates of unmet healthcare needs and to reduce the barriers to care people with disabilities face to ensure for better health outcomes, and better overall health, for those who need it most.
The author is President and CEO of Independence Care System (ICS), the first and only Health Home program in New York providing care coordination and services to support the health, mobility and independence of people with physical disabilities.
