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Shri Thanedar introduces bill to tackle health disparities
Measure would designate Health Disparity Zones and expand incentives for providers serving underserved communities.
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Malvika Choudhary - Fri, 26, Jun 2026
- 16:56 EDT
- 26
Congressman Shri Thanedar / Wikimedia commons
Congressman Shri Thanedar introduced legislation aimed at reducing health disparities and improving health outcomes in underserved communities by expanding healthcare resources and financial support for providers.
The Health Disparity Zones Act, would require the Secretary of Health and Human Services to designate qualifying communities as Health Disparity Zones within 18 months of the bill's enactment.
Also Read: Rejected 4 times, now US Congressman: Thanedar
The designation would apply to geographic areas with documented racial, ethnic, or geographic health disparities, poor health outcomes, and average incomes below 150 percent of the federal poverty level, among other low-income indicators.
"Low-income and minority communities are heavily burdened by poor health outcomes as they have less resources to access the care needed," Thanedar said in a statement.
"According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 1 in 6 adults rate their health as being fair to poor. My bill seeks to reduce health disparities and improve health outcomes to underserved, geographic areas,” he added.
Under the proposal, employers operating in designated Health Disparity Zones would receive a tax credit equal to 40 percent of wages paid to eligible workers for one year. The bill also would increase Medicare reimbursement rates by 10 percent for healthcare providers serving those areas.
According to Thanedar's office, the tax credit would help employers invest more resources in patient care, higher wages, and additional staff, while the higher Medicare reimbursement rates would help healthcare providers remain financially sustainable and expand services in underserved communities.
Thanedar said the legislation seeks to address longstanding disparities in healthcare access and outcomes that disproportionately affect low-income and minority populations.
Thanedar represents Michigan's 13th Congressional District, which includes Detroit, the Downriver communities, and the Grosse Pointes. As a member of Congress, he has said expanding healthcare access and economic opportunity for underserved communities remains one of his legislative priorities.
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