This week, Secretary Sylvia M. Burwell highlighted the importance of addressing racial and ethnic health disparities on the HHS blog. In Minority Health Month: Making Progress on Health Disparities, Secretary Burwell noted that:

“African-Americans have the highest mortality rate of any racial and ethnic group for cancer.... Latino communities also suffer from disproportionate rates of illness, including cervical cancer. Asian-Americans and Pacific Islanders are more likely to have hepatitis B than non-Hispanic whites, and African-Americans, Latinos, and American Indians are all more likely to have diabetes.”

Research also shows that people with intellectual and developmental disabilities who live in communities of color face greater unmet health needs than non-Hispanic whites. We know that children with special health care needs from diverse communities are more likely to experience gaps in insurance coverage, loss of care, delays, or have to forgo essential medical care ...   read more here