Dignity for a neglected group.

Many Americans struggle to access health care. But for the disabled, the impediments are often physical and fundamental: heavy doors, nonadjustable examination tables, and offices that aren’t equipped to adapt to their needs. Centene, an insurer that manages the care of 15 million people, saw that this reality meant many ability-challenged patients weren’t getting all the care necessary to stay healthy and prevent costly hospital stays. So, in 2017, it launched its Provider Accessibility Initiative, distributing grants to remove barriers to care. The effort has helped over 123,000 people it covers (and many more it doesn’t) access care with dignity. “The disabled community has just lived with these barriers to health care,” says Kelly Buckland, executive director of the National Council on Independent Living, who advised Centene on the effort. “Centene is fundamentally changing the landscape.”