Health
Care Reform Statement
|
Albert E.
Dotson, Jr.
Chairman
of the Board
100
Black Men of America, Inc.
|
James
T. Black, DDS
Mark
Alexander PhD
Co-Chairs,
Health & Wellness
100
Black Men of America, Inc.
|
"The American health care system is in crisis, with large and
growing numbers among the uninsured, escalating health care costs and
sub-optimal health status compared to other countries. This crisis
affects all Americans but African Americans are disproportionately negatively
affected:
· Almost one quarter of all African Americans have NO health insurance coverage, public or private (one and a half times the rate for white Americans);
· African Americans also spend more per capita as a proportion of total income on health care than any other racial-ethnic population in the US ;
· African Americans are nearly 5 times more likely to identify an emergency room or a hospital outpatient department as their usual source of health care than whites, as opposed to a private physicians office or a clinic;
· At the same time, African Americans suffer some of the greatest health problems:
o The prevalence of diabetes among African Americans is nearly twice that of whites;
o The infant mortality rate among African American babies is almost 2.5 times higher than among white babies;
o African Americans are far more likely than whites to be obese.
None of this is news to you, though. We have held countless
meetings, seminars, and workshops discussing the myriad of health conditions
that disproportionately impact African Americans. We have discussed the
importance of access to quality health care for the young people we mentor, and
for the communities that we serve. We've advocated for better funding of public
hospitals, whose emergency room doctors often are the only physicians
for those without health insurance.
However, in our lifetime, there has not been a better opportunity to
reform our health care system and to provide affordable access to medical care
to all. And yet, efforts to meaningfully extend coverage, control costs
and improve health outcomes under President Obama’s leadership are under
threat from political divisiveness and parochial interests in maintaining the
status quo.
Review the below Action Guide. It is self-explanatory. It
helps debunk rumors and unfounded hysteria. Don't be part of the silent
majority! Take action NOW to ensure that true health reform is enacted
this year!"
Click Here to download the Action Guide (pdf)