Racial and income equality are the two most common factors which are often neglected or not discussed during health care financing. Health disparities are continually arising in the United States, and it impacts mostly African Americans and Native Americans. African Americans have lower life expectancies than other races and experience higher rates of significant causes of death. Despite the greater need for healthcare facilities, access to care is worse for the minority population.
The current health financing system reinforces institutionalized inequality, and this unequal care may be considered as structural racism. Rates of private insurance are much lower for minorities, and it is why most U.S citizens rely on it. The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA) offered subsidies to expand private coverage, slow the rise of healthcare costs, and make insurance more affordable. The ACA has not only spurred a decline in uninsured rates across all U.S. racial and ethnic groups, it's also reduced disparities in coverage, especially between blacks and whites.
High cost-sharing particularly impacts minority families, whose average incomes are far lower than other races. Yet even figures on income disparities understate minorities' disadvantage when confronted with high out-of-pocket costs. Often, routine care reaches into the thousands; many families must tap into savings or other assets like housing equity. Even then, racial/ethnic disparities in assets dwarf the income differences.
The African American and Hispanic populations are associated with more significant insurance loss and slower insurance gain. Access to private health insurance coverage is often tied to employment . However, minority groups suffer the most in the case. Policies that aim to provide safety nets during insurance loss and needs-based public insurance options that made insurance more accessible did not completely mitigate the insurance consequences of #socioeconomic differences.
There are persistent disparities in health outcomes among U.S. racial and ethnic groups. These disparities echo differences in access to quality health services. Lack of insurance coverage, in turn, limits access to such services. While eliminating disparities in insurance coverage alone will not eliminate racial disparities in health, it is a key first step.
