Health care equality, it’s more than law
According to an American Cancer Society report cited by The New York Times, disparities in survival rates among Caucasians and African-Americans with colon cancer increase at each stage of the disease. This is notwithstanding advances in screening, diagnosis, and treatment of the disease.
Doctor John Kauh, an oncologist at Grady Memorial Hospital, notes in the Times article that part of the problem is deficient early screening, particularly among low-income and African-American patients. He observes that this is sometimes due to a lack of health insurance or social and family support.
Recent news articles indicate that the Affordable Care Act provides greater access to health care for millions of Americans.  However, it appears that something more than a new law is needed to bridge the gap.
Doctor Kauh noted that “many hospitals do not accept patients who cannot pay for care or who have public insurance, and those who do are overburdened with sick, needy patients.” The doctor proposed the use of more “patient navigators” at the “community level and the hospital level to promote easy access and navigation to proper care.”
The Los Angeles Times highlights America Bracho of the Latino Health Access, who works at the community level training community workers to teach their neighbors and friends how to be healthier.
These articles strongly indicate that equality in health care requires a combination of improved legal access and social support.