Per the California Health Foundation, “A healthy California for all requires a health care system designed to redress, and not perpetuate, the inequities that too many Californians — especially Black Californians — face. Policymakers and health system leaders have a huge responsibility to understand the health care experiences of Black Californians and to transform the system to be more responsive to and effective at meeting their needs.
Health is a key value for Black Americans, who are among the most likely groups to say they always make their health a priority. But structural barriers in the health care system prevent them from achieving the health they actively seek. Black Californians experience disparities in care and outcomes despite having higher health insurance coverage rates (93%) than the state average.
The life expectancy at birth for Black Californians is 75.1 years — five years shorter than the state average and the lowest life expectancy of all racial and ethnic groups. Additionally, Black Californians have the highest rates of new colorectal, lung, and prostate cancer cases, and the highest death rates for breast, colorectal, lung, and prostate cancer. These outcomes cannot be explained away by factors like age, income, or education level. The health care system treats people differently — implicit biases and racism are known to exist at the levels of both the health care system and the individual provider.”