Health Secretary Addresses Minority Health Care Disparities at National Convention in NYC

Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius said Wednesday that she is developing a national plan of action that would focus for the first time on reducing health care disparities between minority and white populations.

HHS has been writing reports for 25 years documenting the gap in health care services between white and minority communities, but there never has been an action plan to address the gap, she said in an address to the National Action Network convention.

“I’m here to say that’s going to end this year,” Sebelius said.

She said 1 in 3 U.S. Hispanics and 1 in 5 African-Americans do not have health insurance, adding that the National Institutes of Health also is looking into the issue.

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Prominent leaders in civil rights, religion, politics and education are scheduled to discuss issues affecting communities of color. Besides health care, topics include the black achievement gap and the state of the black church.

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