Health Disparities and the Healthcare Reform Law

Thank you! Thanks to all who joined our live webinar, Monday, Nov. 8. The event has ended.

Soon we will feature select video segments from the informative presentations and question-and-answer sessions. Comment on this issue below, and check this page often for video updates!

A summary of the event follows:

Are you concerned about racial and ethnic disparities in healthcare in the United States? Perhaps you should be. African Americans born today have a 50% chance of developing type 2 diabetes in their lifetimes and are 2.3 times more likely to die from it than are whites.Even though white women have a higher rate of developing breast cancer, African American women are more likely to die from breast cancer. African Americans frequently receive less and lower quality care than other Americans – and are sicker as a result.

AARP's Nov. 8 webinar explored how minorities can:

• Access more health services for lower cost – and often for free – under the newly passed healthcare reform law
• Make simple, easy adjustments to lifestyle and behavior to lower risk of many common conditions, like diabetes, cancer, obesity and hypertension

• Choose the right health screenings for their age, health status and disease risk, to help make the most of time spent visiting healthcare providers.

Presenters:

• John W. Bluford, President/CEO, Truman Medical Centers
  
• Dr. Denia Tapscott, Assistant Professor of Medicine, Howard University College of Medicine
• Lynda Flowers, Senior Strategic Policy Advisor, AARP Public Policy Institute.

Moderators: Dr. Arthur Gunn, AARP Multicultural Outreach Volunteer Ambassador and past Dean at Clark Atlanta University, and Edna Kane-Williams, Vice President of Multicultural Markets, AARP.

This event was organized and led by the Georgia State Office of AARP.