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…
