Ending racial health disparities hinges on penalties, political will, experts say
Health equity experts say public and financial accountability, solutions-based research, political will and more are needed to narrow racial health disparities.
The nation’s widespread racial health disparities won’t be erased without changes to how health care systems are funded and accredited, more public and financial accountability for poor patient outcomes, and more work to overturn the income inequality and residential segregation tied to poorer health and lower life expectancy for many people who are Black and brown.
Those are some of the conclusions of a group of health equity leaders who are gathering this week to build on the work of the landmark National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine “Unequal Treatment” report, which was published 20 years ago and was the first major report to point to racism — not lack of insurance, poverty, or refusal to seek care — as a major factor in causing health disparities.
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