Health Care and the 2004 Elections: Race, Ethnicity, and Health Care

Publication Date: October 2004

Publisher: Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation

Author(s):

Research Area: Health

Keywords: Health Policy

Type: Brief

Coverage: United States

Abstract:

Racial and ethnic disparities in health care – whether in insurance coverage, access, or quality of care – are one of many factors producing inequalities in health status in the United States.  Eliminating these disparities is politically sensitive and challenging in part because their causes are intertwined with a contentious history of race relations in America.  Nonetheless, assuring greater equity and accountability of the health care system is important to a growing constituency base, including health plan purchasers, payers, and providers of care.