U.S. Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Kathleen Sebelius has just released a new report on health disparities in America. The Secretary recently also participated in a White House Health Care Stakeholder Discussion that included discussion of reducing disparities in the health care system. The report, "Health Disparities: A Case for Closing the Gap," is available at www.HealthReform.gov . A live blog of the Stakeholders Discussion may also be accessed from that website.

"Minorities and low income Americans are more likely to be sick and less likely to get the care they need," Secretary Sebelius said in a press release on the report. "These disparities have plagued our health system and our country for too long. Now, it's time for Democrats and Republicans to come together to pass reforms this year that help reduce disparities and give all Americans the care they need and deserve."

Some of the disparities that the report highlights include:
--Higher rates of disease

Forty-eight percent of all African Americans adults suffer from a chronic disease compared to 39 percent of the general population; they are more likely to develop and die from cancer than any other racial or ethnic group.

Seven out of 10 African Americans ages 18 to 64 are obese or overweight, and are 15% more likely to suffer from obesity than Whites;
African American men are 50% more likely than Whites to have prostate cancer and are more likely than any other racial group to suffer from colorectal cancer;

Hispanic and Vietnamese women have disproportionate rates of cervical cancer, twice the rate of White women.

Fifteen percent of African Americans, 14% of Hispanics, and 18% of American Indians suffer from adult onset diabetes. American Indians suffer from diabetes at more than twice the rate of the White population.

African Americans have new HIV infections at seven times the rate of Whites, and Hispanics have new HIV infections at two and a half times the rate of Whites

--Reduced Access to Care

More than one in three Hispanics and American Indians and just under one in five African Americans lack health insurance;
Four in 10 low-income Americans lack health insurance, and half of the nearly 46 million uninsured people in the United States are poor. Whereas, 94% of upper-income Americans have health insurance;

Hispanics are only half as likely to have a primary care source as Whites. Half of Hispanics and over a quarter of African Americans do not have a regular primary care physicians, compared with only one fifth of Whites;

The report also notes that persons who do not have access to primary preventive health care are more likely to end up in the emergency department or in the hospital. African Americans utilize the emergency department at twice the rate of Whites. Colorectal screening, pap smears, mammograms and HIV and diabetes maintenance are also at lower rates for low-income persons and persons of color.

Adapted from a press release by HHS and the report Health Disparities: A Case for Closing the Gap.

Links: http://www.hhs.gov/news/press/2009pres/06/20090609c.html
http://www.healthreform.gov/reports/healthdisparities/index.html

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