Congress is locked in a budget battle that’s grabbed round-the-clock media attention. Lost in the coverage are the real stakes in the debate, including the lives of the more than 50 million people covered by Medicaid, which is now in the budget-cutting cross-hairs. More than half of these 50 million are people of color. Racial disparities in health coverage have already reached alarming proportions. Cuts to Medicaid would make these disparities even worse, taking a toll on the real lives of real people. The experiences and perspectives of some of these real people are captured in Medicaid Makes a Difference: Protecting Medicaid, Advancing Racial Equity, from the Alliance for a Just Society and 14 members of its Health Rights Organizing Project, a network of grassroots organizations across the country committed to the fight for health equity. Continue reading
This report contributes to the public discussion of Medicaid and the state budget by providing county-by-county data on the contributions Medicaid makes to the economy and the quality of life in Idaho.
Click here to download the full report. Continue reading
Much remains to be decided about the rules of health reform. Accordingly, elected officials and policymakers on both the state and federal level should promote quality coverage and ensure the strongest possible oversight of the health insurance industry, thereby protecting the health and financial wellbeing of consumers. Continue reading
The United States government has an obligation based on treaty and statute to meet the health care needs of Native people. The Indian Health Service (IHS), a federal agency, provides health care to many Native people but also has been severely and chronically underfunded. To illuminate the problem of IHS underfunding, this report shares the perspectives of directors, administrators and physicians at health care organizations within the IHS system. These health care facilities deliver crucial services to Native people but often cannot provide needed comprehensive services because of the severe shortfall in resources. Continue reading
An American Debt Unpaid: Stories of Native Health shares the experiences of Native people struggling to get the health care they need. The contributors provide personal accounts of their efforts to be treated with respect by practitioners, as well as their fight to improve the health and well being of their communities.
Across California and nationwide, health care reform has become a key priority. Health disparities harm all members of a community, and securing a guarantee of quality, affordable health care for everyone in America requires attention to racial disparities in health care. This report discusses some of the key health disparities in California and the United States and makes recommendations for addressing those disparities.
Racial and ethnic disparities in health outcomes constitute a crisis, one that requires the attention of health care providers, policymakers, and communities alike. In Seattle and across the nation, people of color suffer from higher rates of illness and mortality than their white counterparts. Health care institutions play a critical role in exacerbating or minimizing health disparities. This report analyzes the policies and practices of Seattle hospitals to determine how hospitals are serving, or failing to serve, people of color in our city.
Small business owners are considered a key voice in the public dialogue over health care reform. But where do small business owners stand on the issue? Taking the Pulse of Main Street reports results from a survey of 1,200 small business owners’ experiences with health insurance and perspectives on different reform proposals. The results show small business owners want real health reform, are willing to contribute, and want a quality public insurance option.
