The longstanding health disparity for Blacks and Latinos compared to Whites has declined under President Barack Obama’s Affordable Care Act, the NBC News reports.
According to a study published Thursday by The Commonwealth Fund, from 2013 to 2015, the Black/White disparity narrowed by 4 percent, while the Latino/White disparity decreased 7 percent, the outlet said.
Expanded Medicaid coverage under Obamacare policies is a key reason for the trend. The percentage of uninsured Latinos dropped by 14 points in states that expanded Medicaid and 9 points for Blacks.
“Improving upon the Affordable Care Act, and expanding Medicaid in all states, will be critical if we are going to see disparities continue to shrink and ensure that everyone can get affordable, high-quality health care,” stated Dr. David Blumenthal, the organization’s president.
Dr. Pamela Riley, the vice president of the group and a coauthor of the report, said that Blacks and Latinos continue to lag their White counterparts despite the progress, which she says is tenuous.
“If we are going to reduce these disparities, we must continue to focus on policies like expanding eligibility for Medicaid that will address our health care system’s historic inequities,” she added.
SOURCE: NBC News
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