Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
If You're A Minority Child In The US, Your Health Care Is Worse: Report
The quality of healthcare for minority children in the United States is universally worse than it is for white children, even after accounting for insurance coverage, an analysis of dozens of recent studies found. The pattern was similar across all medical specialties, including newborn care, emergency medicine, primary care, surgery, hospital care, endocrinology, mental health care, care for developmental disabilities, and palliative care, researchers said. (Lapid, 1/17)
The researchers, a group of scientists from Harvard University, Johns Hopkins University and other US universities, said federal and state policies that cause systemic racial inequality contribute to differences. For example, immigration rules make it harder for some children to access public benefits, they said. And housing policies that have led to racially segregated neighborhoods are linked to worse health outcomes for non-White children. ... The differences start at the earliest phases of life and extend until death, the data show. Black, Hispanic and Asian children that receive palliative care are more likely to die in the hospital, according to the study. (Denham, 1/17)
Â鶹ŮÓÅ Health News: Women And Minorities Bear The Brunt Of Medical MisdiagnosisÂ
Charity Watkins sensed something was deeply wrong when she experienced exhaustion after her daughter was born. At times, Watkins, then 30, had to stop on the stairway to catch her breath. Her obstetrician said postpartum depression likely caused the weakness and fatigue. When Watkins, who is Black, complained of a cough, her doctor blamed the flu. (Szabo, 1/18)
Also —
Hong Kong residents no longer have the world’s longest life expectancies, with the city relinquishing its crown to Japan as Covid and overall stress weighs on local lifespans. Women in Hong Kong were expected to live until 86.8 years old on average in 2022, compared with 87.1 for their Japanese counterparts, according to the latest statistics published this week by the city’s government. Data for 2023 has not yet been released. (Zhao, 1/17)
