RWJF’s Post

Creating truly equal opportunity for people of color leads to better outcomes for all of us. Some folks will argue otherwise--occasionally in good faith but often to sow division. In 2022, Mississippi and six other states filed a lawsuit challenging Medicare's program to promote anti-racism efforts in doctors' offices and hospitals. They claimed that Medicare exceeded its authority and that the program constituted reverse discrimination. RWJF recently submitted a friend of the court brief in support of the Medicare initiative. We made two main points: 1) anti-racism plans are consistent with a long history of addressing racial disparities in healthcare and 2) racial equity efforts lead to better care for *all* patients. For example, doula supports in pregnancy are often initiated as a strategy to address maternal health disparities. The result: reductions in racial gaps in C-section rates and post-partum depression with improvements seen for women of all races. Or take another example: language access services lead to better care for people with limited English proficiency. Most of these folks are people of color, but 11% of people with LEP in the U.S. are white. Effective language access services also result in fewer medical errors and lower liability risks for hospitals. This can reduce costs for the system as a whole, which benefits all patients. As a new presidential administration is set to take office in January 2025, we will see even more policy threats to racial equity. RWJF and its partners remain committed to defending efforts to ensure everyone has a fair and just opportunity for good health. Great appreciation to my RWJF colleague Alyson K. Northrup, M.S. and Sarah Grusin and Jane Perkins at the National Health Law Program for collaborating with me on this work. #healthequity #racialequity Learn more about our amicus brief and related work here: