'The men’s sacrifice will only be put to rest when racial inequities in medical care finally end,' writes sreverby, swoolhandler, and David Himmelstein
, indicates that racial inequities in care are actually widening. The study analyzed 60 years of data on how much money was spent for the care of Black vs. white Americans, and counted how many doctor visits they received. The data came from 29 federal surveys of 601,803 people dating back to 1963.
And spending for all types of care combined—a measure of the total value of services the groups received—has followed a similar pattern.‘Tuskegee’ must be remembered, and the unknowing sacrifice of the men and their families honored… The men’s sacrifice will only be put to rest when racial inequities in medical care finally end.In 1963, average spending for white people’s health care was nearly double than what was spent for Black people.
Inadequate insurance coverage accounts for part of the racial difference in care; Black people are more likely to have Medicaid—which many doctors and hospitals shun—or to be uninsured. And Black families’ far lower average incomes means that many with private insurance can’t afford to use it because of high copayments and deductibles. Yet insurance and income differences explain only part of the white-Black care gaps.
As a result, hospitals serving predominantly Black patients are markedly under-resourced. They’re less likely to provide almost every type of expensive high-tech service,. These structural barriers compound the interpersonal racism that Black people often encounter when they seek care.