Eliminating Health Disparities through Health Care Reform

A new issue brief from Families USA Minority Health Initiatives shows the Patient Affordable Care Act, the health reform law signed by President Obama, provides the foundation for addressing racial and ethnic health disparities in the health care system. The research tells us that people of color are more likely to experience structural barriers to good health such as housing difficulties, inadequate transporation, and limited geographic access to healthy foods. In 2008, one study found that people of color  made up 35 percent of the U.S. population,but they accounted for more than 50 percent of the uninsured population.  By providing funding support for community based-prevention and public health centers, expanding health care coverage, and improving data collection, the health reform law’s key provisions have the potential to greatly improve outcomes for people of color.