Study: Racial inequalities in health care

The following event was announced today by the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies:

WHO: The Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies Health Policy Institute, Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health, Drexel University School of Public Health's Center for Health Equality and Health Management Associates.

WHAT: The Joint Center's Health Policy Institute will unveil a study that estimates the direct medical costs of racial inequalities in health status and access to quality care. Findings will include specific estimates on the combined costs of health disparities for minorities over a three-year period (2003-2006), as well as estimates of how much in direct and indirect costs could have been saved in our health care system during that same period if those disparities for minorities had been eliminated. The findings will be particularly relevant to the current debate in Congress over health care reform and will shed light on the issue of cost savings that could be achieved if the legislation addresses existing racial inequalities in health care and health outcomes. The event will also include the release of an assessment of major health reform legislation, with a particular focus on the implications of various provisions for racial and ethnic minorities. Authors of both reports will be on hand to present findings and answer questions.

WHERE: National Press Club

Holeman Lounge, 13th Floor

529 14th Street, NW

Washington, DC 20045

WHEN: Thursday, September 17, 2009

8:00 a.m. - 10:00 a.m.

The briefing will be available online. To view the live Webcast (8:15 a.m.), visit www.jointcenter.org/hpi

FEATURED SPEAKERS:

The Honorable Kathleen Sebelius, Secretary, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

The Honorable James E. Clyburn, (D-SC) Majority Whip, United States House of Representatives

The Honorable Donna M. Christensen, (D-VI), Chair, Congressional Black Caucus Health Braintrust

Ralph B. Everett, Esq., President and CEO, Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies

Brian D. Smedley, Ph.D., Vice President, Health Policy Institute, Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies

Dennis P. Andrulis, Ph.D., MPH, Director, Center for Health Equality and Associate Dean of Research, Drexel University

Darrell Gaskin, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Health Economics, African American Studies Department, University of Maryland, College Park

Thomas A. LaVeist, Ph.D., Director of the Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health's Center for Health Disparities Solutions

Source: http://www.jointcenter.org