Ron Williams

Make Them Pay: Ways to Hold Insurance Companies Accountable to Addressing Racial and Ethnic Health Disparities

People of color in the United States suffer notoriously poor health outcomes compared to their white counterparts. These disparities arise from many things: poverty, unequal access to quality education, unsafe housing, toxic hazards in the environment, and food deserts are but a few of the causes. Limited access to quality, affordable medical care exacerbates the problem. Fortunately, the affirmation of the Affordable Care Act by the Supreme Court cemented a framework for health care reform that empowers states to hold private health insurance companies accountable to addressing racial and ethnic health disparities. This workshop will examine policy options and organizing opportunities for the implementation of health reform that promotes health equity.