Public Health: Racial Disparities in Access to Health Care

Health Care has been weaponized against marginalized communities. This list is not exhaustive, but points out some of the most notorious cases. Many of these examples still have active repercussions today.

A horrific history of healthcare being weaponized against marginalized populations in the United States has translated into inequitable access to quality healthcare today.

Immigrants are less likely to receive insurance from employers, and the process of receiving public health care is complicated and limiting. Fears that enlisting in public care would endanger their immigration status by being considered a public charge, combined with the difficulties of navigating the process in a foreign language, ultimately leads to immigrants being significantly less insured than natural born citizens (3). The flowchart outlines the government sponsored health care that immigrants may be eligible for.

Black and Hispanic demographics have suffered a disproportionate amount of COVID-19 cases and deaths. A ruthless intersection of socioeconomic and health inequities exacerbates the effects. People of color disproportionately make up the essential labor force which increases in-person interactions at work and the likelihood of infection. COVID-19 is most lethal in patients that have a compromised immune system or comorbidities such as asthma or hypertension. These comorbidities are disproportionately present in communities of color, which has contributed to the higher death rate. These factors combined with a lack of quality health care and access become critical during the pandemic (11).

"We will provide the same quality care to you, regardless of your race, ethnicity, gender or gender identity, sexual orientation, or age or other factors.  We welcome you. We employ cultural brokers and interpreters who can help our non-English speaking patients navigate the health care system." 

"Whether it is in responding to job loss, increased food insecurity, or a lack of accurate information about the pandemic, MEIRS’s ability to provide linguistically and culturally tailored assistance to the refugee and immigrant communities is critical as Maine continues to work to protect individuals and families from COVID-19 and prevent its spread."

"In partnership with Maine Community Integration, GCSM originally developed youth led Coalitions in Lewiston and Portland, each with 10 members, to help our community deal with the challenges of COVID-19. Information being shared in our community about the virus is not targeted towards youth and some youth are having difficulty understanding and/or following the steps that need to be taken now to keep people safe and healthy." 

"As advocates for the disenfranchised in our community, the IRCM wants to make sure our community members receive the best medical help. Many immigrants and refugees come to us to ensure they get the treatment or services that they need. We believe it's a human right to have access to proper medical care, and we will continue to fight for this right for our community members who need help navigating healthcare."

"Health equity means that everyone has a fair opportunity to live a long, productive and healthy life. Conditions in the places where people live, learn, work and play affect a wide range of health risks and outcomes. Healthy Androscoggin works to address these health inequities through our projects and programs"