Bill Overview
Title: Building a Sustainable Workforce for Healthy Communities Act
Description: This bill reauthorizes through FY2027 and revises a program carried out by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that supports the use of community health workers to improve health outcomes in medically underserved communities. The bill also requires the Government Accountability Office to report on the effectiveness of and other matters concerning the program.
Sponsors: Rep. Ruiz, Raul [D-CA-36]
Target Audience
Population: People in medically underserved communities and community health workers
Estimated Size: 80000000
- The primary target population for this bill are individuals in medically underserved communities. These are areas that have a shortage of health services and professionals.
- Community health workers are employed to improve health outcomes in these underserved areas, so those employed as community health workers are also directly impacted.
- The bill is aimed to improve health outcomes, which implies not only direct impacts on the people living in these areas but also indirect impacts by possibly reducing healthcare costs and improving general community health over time.
Reasoning
- The policy focuses on medically underserved communities where health services are scarce. It's likely to have significant impacts on people's wellbeing in these areas by increasing access to care and resources.
- The funding increase may enable the hiring of more community health workers, directly impacting their employment and job stability.
- Those not in medically underserved areas or not directly involved with healthcare might not see significant changes, so their perspective helps to gauge the limits of the policy's reach.
Simulated Interviews
retired teacher (rural Kentucky)
Age: 54 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 4
Duration of Impact: 20.0 years
Commonness: 8/20
Statement of Opinion:
- I've been hoping for something like this because it's tough to get the care we need here. This program could mean more reliable check-ups and faster help when illnesses hit.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 4 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 4 |
| Year 3 | 8 | 3 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 3 |
| Year 10 | 9 | 2 |
| Year 20 | 9 | 2 |
community health worker (urban New York)
Age: 29 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 20.0 years
Commonness: 4/20
Statement of Opinion:
- This policy could finally give us the resources to do our jobs better and help more people in need. It could mean job stability for me while making a huge difference in others' lives.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 9 | 5 |
| Year 5 | 9 | 5 |
| Year 10 | 10 | 4 |
| Year 20 | 10 | 4 |
small business owner (suburban Texas)
Age: 45 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 5
Duration of Impact: 5.0 years
Commonness: 7/20
Statement of Opinion:
- I might not be directly impacted but having healthier customers benefits everyone. I'm hopeful this policy indirectly boosts community health, which helps my business.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 5 | 5 |
| Year 2 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 3 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 5 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 10 | 7 | 4 |
| Year 20 | 6 | 3 |
student (rural Mississippi)
Age: 23 | Gender: other
Wellbeing Before Policy: 4
Duration of Impact: 10.0 years
Commonness: 5/20
Statement of Opinion:
- If the policy works as intended, it could make studying and living here more hopeful. There would be more opportunities and better health outcomes right from the start.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 5 | 4 |
| Year 2 | 6 | 4 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 4 |
| Year 5 | 7 | 3 |
| Year 10 | 8 | 2 |
| Year 20 | 8 | 2 |
doctor (urban California)
Age: 60 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 7
Duration of Impact: 15.0 years
Commonness: 3/20
Statement of Opinion:
- I'm cautiously optimistic. This could be a turning point for accessing necessary care in underprivileged areas. I hope it brings focus to where it's most needed.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 2 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 3 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 5 | 9 | 6 |
| Year 10 | 9 | 5 |
| Year 20 | 9 | 5 |
nurse (rural North Dakota)
Age: 37 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 5
Duration of Impact: 10.0 years
Commonness: 4/20
Statement of Opinion:
- This could relieve some pressure off our small hospital by preventing issues before they require hospital care. If done well, it's a win-win.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 4 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 4 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 3 |
| Year 10 | 8 | 3 |
| Year 20 | 9 | 2 |
software developer (suburban Ohio)
Age: 31 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 8
Duration of Impact: 0.0 years
Commonness: 10/20
Statement of Opinion:
- I don't think this affects me directly, but anything that can improve people's health access is a good thing, even indirectly.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 8 | 8 |
| Year 2 | 8 | 8 |
| Year 3 | 8 | 8 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 8 |
| Year 10 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 20 | 7 | 6 |
community organizer (urban Illinois)
Age: 42 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 15.0 years
Commonness: 3/20
Statement of Opinion:
- Reinvigorating the community health worker program can bridge the gap between healthcare access and the community, potentially saving lives.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 9 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 9 | 5 |
| Year 10 | 9 | 4 |
| Year 20 | 9 | 3 |
farmer (rural Arizona)
Age: 50 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 5
Duration of Impact: 10.0 years
Commonness: 8/20
Statement of Opinion:
- Access to healthcare could become more practical and less burdensome, if this policy extends far enough into our area.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 5 | 5 |
| Year 2 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 3 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 5 | 7 | 4 |
| Year 10 | 7 | 4 |
| Year 20 | 7 | 3 |
school teacher (urban Michigan)
Age: 38 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 5
Duration of Impact: 15.0 years
Commonness: 6/20
Statement of Opinion:
- Policies like this support the kind of healthcare framework kids in my school desperately need. It's about time someone took action.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 3 | 8 | 5 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 4 |
| Year 10 | 9 | 3 |
| Year 20 | 9 | 2 |
Cost Estimates
Year 1: $245000000 (Low: $195000000, High: $295000000)
Year 2: $245000000 (Low: $195000000, High: $295000000)
Year 3: $245000000 (Low: $195000000, High: $295000000)
Year 5: $0 (Low: $0, High: $0)
Year 10: $0 (Low: $0, High: $0)
Year 100: $0 (Low: $0, High: $0)
Key Considerations
- The effectiveness of the program in actually improving health outcomes in underserved areas.
- The scalability of the community health worker model depending on the size and needs of the community.
- The potential for reducing overall health care costs in the long term through preventative care and management.
- The availability and retention of suitable workforce to meet the demand in underserved areas.