Health equity is an issue on the minds of actuaries and policymakers across the health insurance market. As such, a tremendous amount of time and brain power has been invested in understanding and quantifying these issues in public and private programs alike. While the specific results of health equity studies vary widely from one program to the next, the findings tend to reveal complicated issues with no obvious, off-the-shelf solutions. In these situations, there is a natural tendency to think that only a big, bold, innovative solution is called for. Unfortunately, between staffing challenges, competing priorities, and budgetary constraints, it can be difficult to get large-scale ideas off the ground. In this session, we will explore a range of policy options available to public programs to begin addressing key health equity issues, including both big, expansive goals and smaller changes that can be implemented more rapidly. For each of the options discussed, we will identify the situation that led to a need for innovation and the specific approach, including actuarial considerations underpinning the change. Limitations will be addressed. Presenters will include: · A state Medicaid chief actuary / chief strategy officer with broad and extensive health care industry expertise · A Medicaid consulting actuary with nearly 20 years’ experience working with various state programs · A state Medicaid employee with direct experience interfacing with health plans and actuaries Attendees should expect to leave this session with a fresh perspective on how to strategically deploy practical solutions to begin addressing health equity issues within the programs that they support.