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The 95819 and 95817 ZIP codes, which encompass much of east Sacramento and Oak Park, respectively, share a border. Each has about 15,000 residents. But an analysis performed by the nonprofit Valley Vision on behalf of local hospitals in 2010 showed that Oak Park residents are more than three times as likely to go to the emergency room for asthma, diabetes or high blood pressure.

This week marks the second anniversary of the passage of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA).  It’s also the week that oral arguments begin before the U.S. Supreme Court to consider the constitutionality of the law.  At minimum, the court will consider whether the law’s requirement that individuals who can afford health insurance coverage should carry it exceeds federal authority to regulate interstate commerce, and whether the law’s provisions to expand the Medicaid program are “coercive” to states.  Years of effort to create legislation that will expand insurance coverage, contain health care costs, and improve the quality of health care hang in the balance, and all Americans will ultimately be affected by how the high court rules.

WASHINGTON—Health disparities are creating economic burdens for families, communities and the nation’s health care system. Across the country, infant mortality and chronic diseases continue to affect people of color at rates far higher than those for whites.

In recent years, the focus has increased on the impact of disparities on minority communities, with public officials, community activists, civic leaders and health care experts proposing ways to improve access to medical care and raise awareness of positive benefits of preventive care. But health experts say the economic toll of health disparities and substantial costs associated with lost productivity are being overlooked. 

“Racial and ethnic groups have higher incidences of diabetes, high blood pressure and cancer, et cetera,” says Brian D. Smedley, vice president and director of the Health Policy Institute at the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies in Washington, D.C. “That prevalence [of chronic diseases] comes with a price tag in terms of excess direct medical costs, nearly $230 billion over a four-year period that we studied.”

Read more at americaswire.org.

An overview of the Joint Center's PLACE MATTERS program.

Maya Rockeymore interviews Brian Smedley and discusses healthcare reform and issues of healthcare disparities among racial and ethnic minority populations. View the video at GlobalPolicy.TV.

The Collegium of Scholars at the University of Maryland Center for Health Equity engages scholars in the exchange of meaningful discussions regarding the complexities and impact of race, racism, ethnicity, gender, class, and discrimination on health and wellness.  They are sponsiring a presentation and interactive discussion regarding Building Strong Communities for Better Health: Moving from Science to Policy and Practice.  The discussion features Dr. Brian Smedley, Vice President and Director of the Joint Center Health Policy Institute.

Click here for more information.

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Sociologists and public health officials have long thought a ZIP code is at least as important as race, age and genetics in determining a person's health. Now, a growing body of more advanced research is bringing the issue to the forefront once again and opening up the debate about how the nation looks at health care.

In one recent study, researchers at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health found racial disparities normally associated with hypertension, diabetes and obesity weren't as strong when they took into account where people lived.

The researchers looked at racially integrated, working-class neighborhoods, including in Southwest Baltimore, and found that blacks and whites had similar health outcomes. They also compared health outcomes in the neighborhoods to national health surveys. Across the country, blacks are more likely to suffer from hypertension, but when looking at the Baltimore neighborhood, the disparity declined by 29 percent. Blacks and whites in the neighborhood also showed similar odds of being obese.

Read the full article at the Baltimore Sun

Major cuts to Medicaid would have a disproportionately harsh effect on African-Americans and Latinos, according to a new report released recently by a coalition of major health, civil rights and consumer groups.

The report, "Medicaid: A Lifeline for Blacks and Latinos with Serious Health Care Needs," reveals that making cuts to Medicaid fails to reduce costs, instead it shifts the burden to states, families, hospitals and the uninsured. In fact, in some cases, the report notes, cutting assistance for treatment can actually increase costs over the long run.

"As policymakers consider sharp cutbacks in the Medicaid program, this report brings an important potential consequence of their actions to the table – that cutting Medicaid will likely hit hardest at communities of color and, in particular, those who depend on the program to manage and treat their chronic illnesses," said Ralph B. Everett, president and CEO of the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies.

This article was previously available at The Washington Informer.

The Boston Public Health Commission reports on the work of the Boston PLACE MATTERS team. This presentation was given during the 2011 PLACE MATTERS National Conference.

Slides can be downloaded by clicking the link below.