In our country, we are finally starting to address the critical issues of skyrocketing healthcare costs and shrinking healthcare coverage. But we have another healthcare crisis on our hands as well -- overall, people of color have substantially lower access to healthcare than whites, and that care is of substantially lower quality.

The National Conference of Black Mayors and the Service Employees International Union just released a report outlining the details of this crisis. Among the findings of the report:

• African Americans live 6-10 fewer years on average than whites, and are more likely to face illness during that time.
• African Americans are 25% more likely to die from cancer than whites, even adjusting for age.
• Even between people with similar levels of income and insurance, blacks were less likely to get the same quality of treatment for heart disease, cancer, diabetes, and other diseases than whites with the same illnesses.
• The gap in infant mortality rates between blacks and whites widened between 1980 and 2000, even as the overall infant mortality rate decreased.

While lack of health insurance coverage contributes to these disparities-Blacks, Latinos, Asian Americans and Native Americans are all less likely to have health insurance than whites - several other factors play a role as well. The NCBM/SEIU report highlights the fact that our current system concentrates medical resources in suburbs and wealthy communities, meaning that communities of color often experience a form of medical apartheid. The healthcare systems to which communities of color have access are of lower quality, with poorer hospitals, fewer board-certified physicians, lower access to specialists, and lower supplies of needed medications. In addition, people of color and the poor (of all races) are less likely to have a "medical home" - a doctor or healthcare provider they can see regularly to ask questions and address issues. Throw in language barriers for people not proficient in English and physician stereotypes when dealing with minority patients, and we have a crisis of healthcare inequality on our hands.

As we approach Juneteenth, the national day of celebration on June 19th commemorating the end of slavery in the US, let's recognize that our healthcare system in this country remains separate and unequal. And as we gather our strength to fight for healthcare for all in this election and beyond, let's commit to taking on these pernicious healthcare disparities once and for all!

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