Minority Health Frequently Asked Questions
Question: Who is affected by the minority health problem?
Answer:
Specifically, minorities most affected by the health gap are African Americans, Hispanics, and Native Americans. Asian/Pacific Islanders do not experience a health gap. However, the health gap is a problem for all American residents, as we all need to be concerned with our community's health. In the United States, 7.9% of whites are considered to be in fair or poor health, compared with 12.9% of Latinos, 14.6% of African Americans, 7.4% of Asians, and 17.2% of American Indian/Alaska Natives.
Source: Key Facts: Race, Ethnicity, & Medical Care. The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation, June 2003
Question: Is minority health a problem in rural communities?
Answer:
Yes. It is a stereotype to associate rural poverty with whites and urban poverty with minorities. The poverty gap between minorities and non-minorities is often greater in rural communities than in urban communities since economic resources can be more tightly constrained and limited. Also, many rural communities have limited access to health care because rural communities are often understaffed by health care professionals. Throughout the United States, more than 50% of Latinos, African Americans, and American Indian/Alaska Natives are poor or near poor, as compared with 25% of whites and 32% of Asian/Pacific Islanders.
Source: Key Facts: Race, Ethnicity, & Medical Care. The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation, June 2003
Question: What still needs to be done to improve minority health care?
Answer: In recent years, there has been much more attention paid to the health gap between minorities and non-minorities. Federally funded agencies such as the Office of Minority Health (OMH) and Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) now focus on fixing this gap. In addition, HRSA's Office of Rural Health Policy has specifically begun to call attention to this issue.
There needs to be an improvement in access to health care. Health care services need to be provided in areas of need. All American residents (minorities and non-minorities) need to be made aware of health risks through better education. Recent statistics show that minorities are much more likely to be uninsured than are whites. In fact, 12% of whites are uninsured, as compared with 35% of Latinos, 20% of African Americans, 19% of Asian/Pacific Islanders, and 27% of American Indian/Alaska Natives. Also, Medicaid is much more important for health insurance coverage for minority Americans.
The demographic changes anticipated over the next decade increase the importance of addressing disparities in health status. Groups currently experiencing poorer health status are expected to grow as a proportion of the total U.S. population. The future health of America as a whole will be impacted greatly by improving the health of racial and ethnic minorities.
Source: Key Facts: Race, Ethnicity, & Medical Care. The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation, June 2003
Credits
Last revised 09/25/2007
