The current coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic is highlighting longstanding racial disparities in our health care system. In one response, lawmakers recently sent a letter to the federal government to demand comprehensive demographic data on people who are tested or treated for the virus that causes COVID-19:
“Decades of structural racism have prevented so many Black and Brown families from accessing quality health care, affordable housing, and financial security, and the coronavirus crisis is blowing these disparities wide open,” [Senator Elizabeth] Warren said in a statement. “We need the government to step up in a big way to ensure that communities of color have equal access to free testing and treatment. Congresswoman [Ayanna] Pressley and I aren’t going to let up until we see solid data and real progress.”
Read more here. Reporting of coronavirus testing and treatment demographic information in California would help advocates and patients to advocate for better access in communities that most need it. If you have experienced discrimination in the health care setting, call the Health Consumer Alliance for free and confidential help: (888) 804‑3536. TTY 877‑735‑2929.
