Cultural and political trends and ongoing national conversation around DEI present challenges for Medicaid MCOs working to address the root causes of health inequities and advance health equity. To preserve strides made and continue to progress toward more equitable health for all in these uncertain times, it is imperative that leaders develop clear and effective messaging that moves health equity from a set of initiatives and programs to an organizational identity.

In this presentation, we acknowledge the structural, historical, and contemporary injustices that affect the populations Medicaid MCOs serve while engaging the audience in an energizing, reaffirming, and practical discussion about advancing health equity. We describe design and implementation of UPMC Health Plan programming that addresses social drivers of health and the root causes of health inequities through workforce development, housing, and maternal healthcare management activities. We share outcomes such as our enrollment of 5,000 Medicaid recipients into employment and housing programming and demonstrate how results like these have become a powerful message of “return on mission” and shape identity for our organization. We discuss common barriers and challenges that we and fellow MCOs encounter in defining, explaining, and advocating for health equity and propose solutions for a way forward.