The Election & Your Health
What the Election Means for Health Equity
A look at what’s at stake for America’s gaping health disparities
As the country careens towards a presidential election in the midst of a raging pandemic, the dueling headlines on public health and politics are a stark indication that, no matter who wins in November, this election will have profound, far-reaching consequences for your physical health and well-being. All this week, Elemental is running a series of stories detailing what’s at stake, from insurance coverage to plans for a pandemic still in progress. Here’s what you should know about the implications of the election on health for people of color and the LGBTQ+ community.
Social determinants of health — including education and access to opportunities, resources available in communities, and the safety and cleanliness of those communities — are all closely tied to politics, and have a significant impact on overall well-being. Because of racist policies and structural inequalities, resource-poor communities tend to be more heavily populated by Black and Hispanic or Latinx people.
As a result, overall health among those communities is significantly lower. According to U.S. Census data, in 2017, 10.6% of Black Americans and 16.1% of Hispanic Americans were uninsured, compared to just 5.9% of white Americans. Americans of color are more likely to be overweight or obese, more likely to die of heart disease or cancer, and more likely to suffer from a chronic condition such as diabetes, asthma, or hypertension.
While it’s the health care platforms and proposals of the presidential candidates that get the most attention, says Nadereh Pourat, PhD, professor of health policy at the UCLA Fielding School of Public Health, policies that have the most influence on social determinants of health are often established by local or state politicians. Policies and funding decisions aimed at improving early childhood development, improving living conditions, and ensuring minimum income standards and access to work have the greatest impact on reducing health inequity on the municipal and city level. When it comes to remedying health care inequality, platforms of candidates running in smaller races matter in a big way.
