Publications - Recent Publications
Race, Ethnicity & Health Care Reform: Achieving Equity in Our Lifetime
This issue brief identifies, analyzes and compares provisions which explicitly address the health and health care needs of racial and ethnic minorities within the two leading Congressional health care reform proposals: The Affordable Health Choices Act of 2009 (H.R. 3962) passed in the House of Representatives on November 7, 2009; and The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2009 (H.R. 3590) introduced in the Senate on November 18, 2009, as a merged version of the Senate Finance Committee’s America’s Health Future Act (S.1796) and Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions’ (HELP) Affordable Health Choices Act (S. 1697).
Expanding and Accelerating the Adoption & Use of Broadband Throughout the Economy
As computers and the Internet become more critical to daily life and work, America will benefit greatly from expanding the geographic reach and capacity of broadband networks and from increasing the adoption and use of information and communications technology (ICT). The lack of access and technical literacy for some impacts quality of life, economic development and job creations, health care and wellness, educational methods and outcomes, energy conservation and environmental sustainability, public safety and security, and democracy and civic engagement for all U.S. communities. The federal government, in collaboration with state and local governments and the private sector, must play an active role in stimulating adoption and use of advanced broadband connections.
Section I of this paper discusses disparities currently existing among different race and ethnic groups and the barriers African Americans are facing on broadband adoption. A set of policy recommendations to increase broadband adoption among minorities are illustrated in Section II with three case studies. Section II also recommends ways broadband could be used to improve healthcare, education and employment. The last section details the call for action from African American elected officials committed to helping government and industry overcome these barriers and increase sustainable broadband adoption for African Americans.