Increasing Health Coverage Within African American Communities: What's the problem and what can you do about it?

Publication Date: December 2002

Publisher: Families USA

Author(s):

Research Area: Health

Type: Other

Abstract:

Three decades after the passage of civil rights legislation, African Americans still face inequalities in health coverage, provider access, and overall health status. Uninsured adults are less likely to receive preventive care, screening services, and appropriate acute or chronic disease management, and they are more likely to have poorer overall health compared to insured individuals. Lack of health insurance often forces people to put off getting needed medical care because they cannot afford the out-of-pocket cost of health services. These problems disproportionately affect African Americans, who make up about 13 percent of the population but who represent 17 percent of the uninsured.