2022 Black Well-being Final w links for Web 11.29.22 - Flipbook - Page 53
BLACK WELL-BEING REPORT 2022
BLACK FUTURE CO-OP FUND
Chemicals that interfere with hormones — including pesticides, plasticizers, and flame retardants — are connected to infertility and to preterm
birth.145 The amount of chemicals we are exposed to depends much on where we live and work and what types of products and food we can
afford. Racism is functioning across all of our systems and is making us sick.
Ongoing health inequities cost everyone, especially us
Sickness as a business model
The real cost of health care includes things like the cost of
Despite attempts to move toward a pay-for-value model, our
healthy food and the cost of living in low-pollution, transit
sickness is still profitable to healthcare systems. According to
accessible neighborhoods. Additionally, the disjointed
the Washington State Department of Commerce, the healthcare
nature of referral systems result in costly uncoordinated
industry in our state makes over $31.6 billion in sales.148 The
care. Research shows that 30% of medical costs for Black,
net income after taxes made by health carriers, or life insurance
Hispanic, and Asian Americans are excess costs related
companies, in Washington state in 2020 was more than $8.1
to health inequities. Direct and indirect cost of inequities
billion.149 Until 2021, hospitals were not required to give much
cost the U.S. economy an estimated $309 billion.
146
It
detail publicly in their financial reporting. In the coming years,
seems obvious — our health systems have yet to operate
because of E2SHB 1272 we’ll have more data on where that
in ways that reflect this understanding. The amount of time
money is expended within the system.150
Black families spend looking for quality care is costly, as is
navigating complex insurance rules and the out-of-pocket
Plenty of research shows that prevention costs less than
costs that remain. In 2017, the estimated cost of unpaid labor
emergency care, yet we spend so much more on emergency care
from caregivers was $470 billion nationally.
147
It’s as if our
systems don’t reflect the interconnected nature of our lives.
models. The healthcare sector is the largest employer in the U.S.
and one of the fastest growing industries globally. It currently isn’t
in the financial interest of any of the 900,000+ businesses that
Public health leaders must leverage the full power of their
make up the U.S. healthcare industry to ensure we have fewer
own cross sector framework to protect the health of Black
sick people.151 In hospitals where pay equity is poor, CEOs made
communities. Declarations of racism as a public health
on average 26 times more than the average hourly worker and in
crisis do little to create accountability and better practices
some cases up to 60 times more in major teaching hospitals.152
across the systems that directly impact our health. What we
Structural shifts in how health care is financed and administered
know about the impact of racism and social determinants
is critical.
on Black people’s lives, requires public health systems to be
fundamentally different.
Insurance and who “deserves” care
Since 2015, the number of people who don’t have insurance has reduced from 23% to 7%. Despite 93% of Black Washingtonians having
insurance, 37% of us are on Medicaid and experience gaps in coverage… so the conversation on universal healthcare continues.153, 154 Insurance
plans are not covering the cost of care for the things we need the most. Tubman Center for Health & Freedom completed a local study of
obstacles and solutions relevant to the health of marginalized community members.155 The report shows cost and racism/discrimination are
the two top barriers to care.156
We’ve been conditioned to accept that quality health care is a condition of employment, signaling that if you don’t work, you don’t deserve to
be in excellent health. You matter beyond what you can produce. If we really believe that, then we must ensure that people receive excellent
care, starting with preventative measures, no matter the amount of money they are able to pay.
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