Underserved Populations

Clinical research forms the foundation for understanding and developing treatments for all types of medical conditions, but participants often do not reflect the diversity of the nation – in terms of sex, age, race, ethnicity, disability status, gender identity, socioeconomic status, geography, or other characteristics.

The Welfare Indicators Act of 1994 (Public Law 103-432) requires the Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services to prepare an annual report to Congress on indicators and predictors of “welfare dependence.” That Act requires the report to include three programs: Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program (which replaced the Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC)

Prior research from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation (ASPE) and U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Office of Policy Development and Research (PD&R) show older adults receiving federal housing assistance face disproportionately high rates of chronic conditions and health care utilization.

Health and human services policies and programs have wide-ranging effects on individuals and communities which can facilitate optimal health and well-being or impose harm, particularly for historically underserved communities.

The Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) is helping people with Medicare, including over 8 million Part D enrollees who reside in rural areas. This fact sheet outlines the potential impacts of the IRA’s key drug-related provisions for rural Medicare enrollees.

This brief describes differences in engagement in child support for custodial parents living in rural and nonrural areas. Key findings are below.Key Points:

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) envisions a future in which everyone, regardless of their social circumstances, has access to aligned health and social care systems that achieve equitable outcomes through high-quality, affordable, person-centered care. This Call to Action complements the companion U.S.

ASPE, in partnership with the Administration for Community Living, commissioned the RAND Corporation to better understand existing approaches to coordinating health and social care services through backbone organizations, with a focus on one particular model, community care hubs (Hubs).

The Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation (ASPE) released an environmental scan report that tells the emerging story of the many successes and challenges in improving COVID-19 testing and vaccination rates, especially among people who are medically or socially at disproportionate risk of COVID-19 or related adverse outcomes.

This brief presents considerations for program administrators and other practitioners around increasing the use of primary prevention in human services systems to shift from responding to families after they are in crisis to preventing the crisis before it occurs.