Access to health care has become even more essential in the last year, as the pandemic has sent millions to the hospital in need of care and millions more to be tested. It has also highlighted existing disparities in access to care that were there before COVID-19 hit.
A new report from the United Health Foundation shows us where we started — and how far we have to go as we recover from the pandemic. The foundation just released its inaugural America’s Health Rankings Health Disparities Report which takes a close look at the disparities across race, education, gender and geography in our country.
In Arizona, leading up to the pandemic we saw increasing food insecurity and child poverty — but also some bright spots: a decrease in avoided care due to costs for Hispanic adults and a drop in infant mortality in that population.
The American Public Health Association partnered with United Health on this report and uses the information to guide their public health priorities going forward.
The Show spoke with Dr. Georges Benjamin, the association's executive director, to learn why the organization chose to look at health disparities to begin with.
