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Using the tools of democracy for better health
There’s a growing body of evidence that shows that people living in areas with structural barriers, such as laws that restrict voter eligibility, registration and opportunities to participate, have lower voter turnout and shorter life expectancy. In our second episode, hosts Beth Silver and Ericka Burroughs-Girardi are joined by Daniel Dawes, executive director of the Institute of Global Health Equity at Meharry Medical College, and the founder of the political determinants of health framework. Dawes discusses how the political determinants have shaped communities’ ability to define and address public problems. Dr. Peniel Joseph, an author, professor and founding director of the Center for the Study of Race and Democracy at The University of Texas at Austin, also joins the conversation to provide examples of how tools of democracy — historical and present — have shaped where we are today.
Value-based insurance design
Create financial incentives or remove financial disincentives to affect consumer choices and incentivize provision of cost efficient health care services
Value-based purchasing (VBP)
Use the purchasing power of employers and groups of insured individuals to create incentives and disincentives for health care providers to deliver high quality, high value care
Vehicle anti-idling initiatives
Implement anti-idling policies and awareness campaigns to reduce engine idling for passenger vehicles, school buses, and/or equipment and truck fleets
Vehicle inspection & maintenance (I/M) programs
Require scheduled testing of vehicles’ tailpipe and evaporative emissions; federally mandated in areas with particularly poor air quality
Voter registration initiatives
Increase the number of registered voters through initiatives that reduce barriers and expand accessibility, including automatic voter registration (AVR), voter registration drives, easing voter registration requirements, and expanding registration sites
Voter turnout initiatives
Increase voter turnout through get-out-the-vote campaigns and initiatives to make voting more convenient such as allowing early in-person voting, vote-by-mail, or expanding polling locations and hours
Walking school buses
Arrange active transportation with a fixed route, designated stops, and pick up times when children can walk to school with adult chaperones
Water availability & promotion interventions
Make water readily available in various settings via regular placement of drinking fountains, water coolers, bottled water in vending machines, etc.
Weatherization assistance program
Provide assistance to families with low incomes to make their homes more energy efficient and to permanently reduce their energy bills