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COVID-19 and Health Equity

Health and Health Care

Communities of color have been experiencing a disproportionate burden of cases, hospitalizations, and deaths due to COVID-19.  However, the disparities observed are connected to a long history of disproportionate health outcomes for communities of color due to inequities in health and health care.  This set of resources identifies law and policy approaches to address health equity including: disparities in COVID testing and treatment, access to care (including crisis standards of care and vaccine access and distribution), private and public coverage (ACA, Medicaid, Medicare, SSA and other public health benefits), provider availability and cultural competency, and the care of vulnerable populations including elderly, long term care residents and staff, people with disabilities and at-risk new moms and babies.

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Real-time assistance for questions related to COVID-19 response

The Network can assist local, county, tribal and state health agencies with timely guidance, resources and information critical to key COVID-19 response measures, particularly in the areas of:

  • public health authority and emergency powers,
  • constitutionality of practices,
  • health data privacy,
  • protections for disadvantaged and vulnerable individuals,
  • crisis standards of care, and
  • ethical decision making.


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Eastern Region Office

The Eastern Region leads the legal technical assistance and research efforts for:
»     Injury Prevention and Safety
»     Environmental Public Health
»     Food Safety


Mid-States Region Office

The Mid-States Region leads the legal technical assistance and research efforts for:
»     Health Information Data Sharing
»     Public Health Statutes and Regulatory Information


Northern Region Office

The Northern Region leads the legal technical assistance and research efforts for:
»     Mental Health and Well-Being
»     Rural Health Equity
»     Climate Resilience


Southeastern Region Office

The Southeastern Region leads the legal technical assistance and research efforts for:
»     Drug Overdose Prevention and Harm Reduction
»     Health Reform
»     Maternal and Child Health
»     Public Health Agency Structure, Organization and Accreditation
»     Messaging


Western Region Office

The Western Region leads the legal technical assistance and research efforts for:
»     Emergency Legal Preparedness and Response
»     Immunization

Legal Research & Assistance

Experienced legal experts are available to answer questions and provide research, analysis and guidance. Let us know what you’re working on and together we can figure out how we can help.

Legal Assistance Library

Explore the Network’s Legal Assistance Library to find answers to commonly asked questions on a variety of public health topics.