Universal Healthcare and Health Disparities

It should go without saying, but now we have a study to confirm it - universal health coverage could reduce health disparities. The Commonwealth Fund conducted a study which suggests that medicare coverage for all provides a dramatic reduction in the level of poorer health among African American, Latino and low-income Americans.

Their research team, led by J. Michael McWilliams, M.D., Ph.D., sifted through medical data for 6,000 people ages 40 to 85 with diabetes or cardiovascular disease. They tracked their conditions from 1999 to 2006.

The researchers found that despite overall improvements in controlling the diseases, black, Hispanic and poor patients under 65 -- those not yet old enough for Medicare -- fared no better, or got worse.

However, at age 65, when people become eligible for Medicare coverage, the differences in health by race, ethnicity, and socioeconomic status declined significantly.

Read more here.