Millions of Americans have gained health care coverage through the Affordable Care Act, but many face challenges in accessing care. Next America

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Black Americans fare worse than Whites across a range of health care indicators, according to a recent report from the Congressional Black Caucus Health Braintrust. 

The analysis lists the following six statistics: 

  1. Blacks have a higher mortality rate than any other racial or ethnic group for eight of the top 10 causes of death. 
  2. Cancer rates among Blacks are 10 percent higher than those for White Americans. 
  3. Blacks are almost twice as likely to have diabetes as non-Hispanic Whites. 
  4. Blacks are six times more likely than Whites to be homicide victims. 
  5. Blacks account for nearly half of new HIV infections but less than a quarter of the total population. 
  6. Blacks make up a third of patients receiving kidney dialysis. 

Much of the disparity can be attributed to a lack of access to health insurance and quality health care, the findings suggest. While millions of low-income people of color have gained access to health care through the Affordable Care Act, families face challenges in accessing that care due to a lack of familiarity with the system and, in some instances, a lack of culturally competent providers. 

Next America will convene a panel of experts at 8:30 a.m. on October 8 to discuss steps to improve health outcomes for low-income people of color.  

Follow this link for a livestream of the conversation.

This story is part of our Next America: Workforce project, which is supported by a grant from the Annie E. Casey Foundation.

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