Despite years of promises for change, a staggering reality remains: Black Americans continue to suffer far worse health outcomes compared to other populations in the United States. A recent investigation by KFF Health News highlights how deeply entrenched policies, access limitations, and environmental factors contribute to the ongoing health crisis disproportionately impacting Black communities.
Across the nation, Black Americans are more likely to face life-shortening health challenges, higher rates of chronic illness, and premature death. These disparities span from rural clinics in the South to urban centers in the North, revealing a nationwide pattern. “Our health system, by design, provides unequal care and outcomes,” said Dr. Morris Brown, a family practice physician who serves Black patients in rural South Carolina. Brown’s clinic, positioned on the “Corridor of Shame” in South Carolina—a stretch marked by poverty and severe health disparities—sees hundreds of patients dealing with chronic illnesses like diabetes, hypertension, and heart disease.
While education and awareness campaigns are vital, KFF Health News’ report exposes the need for broader structural reform. Federal, state, and local policies have historically undermined health equity by limiting access to quality medical services and perpetuating environmental hazards. Policies that restrict Medicaid expansion, for instance, have left millions uninsured in states like South Carolina, where an expansion could grant coverage to thousands and potentially save lives.
Black communities are also disproportionately impacted by environmental policies that funnel industrial facilities and waste sites into their neighborhoods, heightening the risks of respiratory illnesses, cancers, and other life-threatening conditions. “The federal and local government decisions create a cycle that traps Black people in health-degrading environments,” said Andrea Ducas, Vice President of Health Policy at the Center for American Progress. “Our policies have told these communities for generations: Your health is not a priority.”
The historical trajectory—redlining, disinvestment, segregation, and systemic neglect—has left Black communities vulnerable. Polluting industries, substandard housing, and reduced access to clean water and green spaces compound the impacts of long-standing discrimination. The consequences are clear: Black Americans experience higher rates of asthma, hypertension, maternal mortality, and gun violence—each a critical health risk factor.
Political reluctance to address these structural inequalities has fostered a crisis that leaves Black communities not only at higher risk for chronic illnesses but also facing stark disparities in access to medical care. Many healthcare facilities in Black-majority areas are under-resourced or simply inaccessible to those without the means to pay for treatment.
As KFF Health News reports, reversing these trends will require policies that confront environmental and structural determinants of health head-on, with a commitment to undoing the harms perpetuated by years of inequity. This includes addressing discriminatory healthcare practices, investing in community health programs, expanding Medicaid, and enforcing regulations to prevent environmental hazards.
“Meaningful reform must happen at every level, from state legislators expanding Medicaid to community initiatives aimed at providing health access where it’s needed most,” said Bakari Sellers, a former South Carolina state representative. “People are dying because of policy choices. We need policies that put people first.”
In shedding light on these disparities, KFF Health News urges policymakers, healthcare providers, and community leaders to prioritize health equity and address the deep-rooted causes of inequality. For many Black Americans, real change cannot come soon enough.
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