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Health equity

Posted by: Sherice Perry on Jun 26, 2009

Health equity has become a key issue in the current health reform debate, and lots of groups are chiming in.

Over the last few months, the Obama Administration has made a special effort to bring health disparities into the health reform discussion, most recently inviting stakeholders to attend a meeting at the White House and releasing a health disparities report. The disparities community has embraced the opportunity to educate policy makers and the public about the differences in health and health care experienced by different groups of people - think tanks are releasing reports and advocacy groups are releasing recommendations.  Now, the health insurers have something to say.

Earlier this month, the nation's largest not-for-profit health insurer, Kaiser Permanente, released a series of ads in Capitol Hill publications that bring attention to health disparities. The ads are headlined "Health Care in America Is Too Often Unequal" and feature individuals who are African American, Asian American, Latino, and Pacific Islander. 

Each ad calls for universal coverage, pointing out that more than 50 percent of uninsured Americans are people of color. The ads call that statistic a "national disgrace," particularly since the uninsured are more likely to forgo care and the U.S. spends the most out of any nation on health care - more than two trillion dollars in 2008.

In order to develop the comprehensive solutions that will eliminate racial and ethnic health disparities, ALL the stakeholders have to be at the table. Kaiser Permanente is taking steps to make sure their concerns are heard.  What about you?