HCFA recently joined organizations and individuals across the country in recognizing Juneteenth, a holiday celebrating the freedom of enslaved Black Americans. While the holiday originally celebrated the freedom of enslaved people in Texas over two years after the Emancipation Proclamation took effect, it has come to more widely celebrate the freedom, resilience, and achievements of Black Americans since it became a federal holiday in 2021. However, the legacy of slavery has left extreme inequities for Black Americans, impacting many aspects of every day life, including health outcomes.
Historical and perpetual economic inequalities by race have created stark income disparities. In Massachusetts, 20% of Black residents are dealing with family medical debt, compared to only 12% of White residents. This debt can be crushing and have long-lasting impacts on individuals and families. Knowing this, Health Care For All (HCFA) partnered with Undue Medical Debt, a nonprofit organization that pays medical bills to help families achieve financial stability and erase the harmful impact of medical debt.
Within the Commonwealth, 30% of Black residents have unmet health care needs, leading to worse health outcomes down the road. Black patients are more likely to face barriers accessing primary care, prescription drugs and affordable care overall. Addressing these barriers is a top priority for HCFA and our allies in public health, which is why our key legislative priorities for the current legislative session aim to tackle these systemic issues. In partnership with the Health Equity Compact and other advocacy organizations, HCFA supported the passage of legislation to cap copayments for medications treating chronic conditions, which disproportionately impact Black communities in Massachusetts, including asthma and diabetes.
Massachusetts Public Health Commissioner Robbie Goldstein, MD, PhD, declared racism “a serious public health threat in Massachusetts,” as racial disparities in maternal morbidity has increased since 2011. Troublingly, more than 1 in 3 black women reporting experiencing racism and emotional stress during their pregnancy. HCFA supported the passage of a bill that drastically expanded equitable maternal health access last year and continues to support efforts to bring high-quality health care to everyone giving birth in Massachusetts.
Health equity sits at the core of Health Care For All’s work. This Juneteenth, we reflected on the progress that has been made to eliminate racism and inequity in our health system and acknowledged how much work there is left to be done. Drawing from the leadership of Black community advocates and leaders, HCFA continues to support racial health equity efforts in Massachusetts.
Sam Chanen is a practicum student working at HCFA while earning their master’s degree from the Chan School of Public Health at Harvard University.