A new study shows us that money will be saved in other ways, too. A report released by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention reveals shocking racial health disparities. Billions of dollars are spent each year treating illnesses in advanced stages. With healthcare more readily available, it is safe to assume that chronic conditions can be treated regularly and early, avoiding costly hospital stays and saving the larger public money in the long run.

It’s never been a secret that race and income play a part in the quality of medical care an individual receives. But these numbers are shocking. In a country as rich as America, the expectation should be that all children live through infancy and grow into healthy adults. However, children born to African-American women are three times more likely to die before they make it to their first year than those born to women of other races. If the child does make it to adulthood, they will be twice as likely to suffer from high blood pressure and much more likely to suffer from heart disease or have a stroke than their white counterparts. And, unfortunately, their chances of contracting HIV, the virus that causes AIDS, is shockingly higher than that of whites.

Granted, each of these illnesses are preventable. Personal responsibility – eating right, exercising, practicing safe sex – goes a long way in making sure an individual is not afflicted with these diseases. However, if one does find themselves struggling with one of these illnesses, they should be able to access quality medical care early and often and not have to worry about costs. If the diseases go untreated, the long-term effects go far beyond the individual: society ultimately pays. $7 billion to be exact. That’s how much is spent a year treating preventable diseases in this country. And African Americans have twice the rate of preventable hospitalizations than whites.

Before Republicans continue with their plan of repealing the healthcare law, with no workable proposal for a replacement, they should first think about what price the country will have to pay if they are successful. The Republican party should not only leave the current healthcare law intact, they should sit down with Democrats and strategize to improve it. One of those improvements should be funding more community clinics in urban areas – clinics that educate and counsel residents on disease prevention. The Republican party needs to realize that honoring campaign promises is important but only if that promise is in the best interest of the entire nation.

President Obama understands what too many of us do not: HIV/AIDS is still a pressing issue in this country and that a comprehensive federal strategy is needed to combat it. To that end, the president has proposed a plan that aims to reduce this country’s HIV infection rates by 25 percent in five years.  The plan, the first national strategy of its kind, will also expand early access to medicines, improving the quality of life for those who do become infected with the virus.  Unfortunately, the money the federal government uses to fight AIDS doesn’t always make it into the communities that need it most. While the President’s plan doesn’t increase the $19 billion dollars it spends to fight HIV/AIDS, it rethinks how and where those dollars are spent and will redirect funds to those hardest hit by the HIV/AIDS epidemic: gay and bisexual men and African-Americans.

Currently, gay and bisexual men account for slightly more than half of new HIV infections while African Americans make up around 46 percent of new infections. Under the proposed plan, agencies that serve these hard hit populations will see increases in their funding. Additionally, and perhaps more importantly, the President promises to work to end treatment, housing and employment discrimination issues that plague people infected with H.I.V. 

This plan is an ambitious one. But it is necessary. HIV/AIDS is still a very real threat to so many, especially our black women, who make up more than 6 percent of new HIV cases among all women and who are more than 21 times as likely to die from HIV/AIDS as white women.  We owe it to ourselves – and future generations – to not only applaud the President’s new approach but to also take it into our own hands to keep ourselves safe and healthy. For more information on HIV/AIDS prevention, visit www.greaterthan.org.

African Americans are less likely to receive a diagnosis for a mental illness than other racial groups. Because the illnesses aren’t diagnosed, individuals don’t receive treatment. Untreated mental illness can manifest itself in many ways: some patient turn to drugs to self-medicate, others become violent with loved ones and some may prefer living in the streets to living at home with family. The effects of undiagnosed mental illness extend far beyond the individual and their family: the community is affected, too. Increased crime rates and homeless populations result in additional expenses for local governments.

There are a number of reasons African Americans are not being diagnosed and treated for mental illness in the same way whites are, even though rates of mental illness is the same among both blacks and whites. Key among them is the fact that so many of our people are misinformed about the different mental disorders and the ways they are treated. We still use antiquated terms to describe those who are battling a mental illness and we buy in to stereotypes associated with the disease.

Lack of access to quality healthcare is another reason our people aren’t getting the treatment they need. So many communities across the country lack solid clinics that can provide medical and dental care, let alone mental health services.

Mental illness can be treated and many people who suffer, whether it be from schizophrenia or bipolar disorder or another disease, can go on to live relatively normal lives by regularly taking their medication and following the directions of their doctors. But first, we must work to make sure our people are getting to step one: a diagnosis.

Local governments should fund more mental health clinics that provide basic screenings in poverty stricken neighborhoods. Schools, hospitals and community centers should pay attention to the behaviors of their students, patients and customers, referring those who stand out to a mental health professional, and following up to see if they made the appointment. Churches can play a big role, opening up the conversation about mental illness so that families are no longer ashamed to approach the topic with a loved one.

By pushing for awareness in African American communities and increased services in poorer areas, we can begin to erase the stigma associated with the disease and start to create healthier communities.

According to a recent study by the Kaiser Foundation, healthcare insurance premiums for families have increased 113 percent over the last ten years.  The group, a private non-profit that focuses its work on the major health care issues facing the U.S., also found that the general inflation rate increased by only 28 percent over the same period.  The average cost of a family policy offered by employers rose 5 percent while the average wage only increased 3 percent.  Some companies are eliminating health benefits to its employee’s altogether; between 2000 and 2008, the total percentage of U.S. companies offering health insurance to its workers dropped 6 percent. Small businesses, which drive the nation’s economy, are most likely to drop coverage, citing rising insurance costs.

In 1993, President Bill Clinton and then First Lady Hillary Clinton tried to reform America’s healthcare system. Then, America spent more than $900 million each year on health care.  That reform never came to pass and the country continued on with the same ineffective system. Thanks to government’s inaction, we are spending more on healthcare –an expected $2.6 trillion this year – and more people are finding themselves uninsured.

When there is no competition, health insurance companies have free reign to increase prices, hurting millions of people, most of whom earn modest incomes, in the process. Those days are over.

Healthcare companies should be required to compete with a public insurance company or co-op to ensure both companies that provide insurance to workers and the workers themselves are getting the best possible prices. As we gear up for the fall, and Congress considers sweeping healthcare legislation, there will be many more public debates on the pros and cons of healthcare reform. It is important to remember that, for far too long, Americans have been falling into debt to pay their medical bills while insurance companies continue to fatten their bottom line. We all deserve better.

The number of Americans without health insurance rose to 46.3 million last year as the economy forced people out of jobs and away from employer sponsored health benefits. Among those fortunate enough to work, nearly 1 in 5 are uninsured. 20 percent of those who go without insurance are children and nearly half are below the age of 30. The majority are people of color.

The President’s health care plan, which he detailed in his speech, would change the way health insurance is offered in this country. Private companies would no longer be able to deny coverage because pre-existing conditions, limits on the amount of coverage individuals can receive in a given year or over their lifetime life time would be eliminated and insurers would be required to cover routine checkups, such as mammograms and colonoscopies. The President also supports a public health care option, where individuals can choose a health plan outside of the one their employer offers, and mandatory coverage for everyone.

The President estimates it will cost $900 million to put the plan into effect. But we should not focus on cost here.  The U.S. health care system is already the world’s most expensive and is considered by many one of the most wasteful. With all that we spend now, so many go without coverage or are covered by policies that don’t take care of all of their health needs. Hospitalization or a serious illness can mean financial ruin for some under the current system.

Is this plan perfect? That remains to be seen. What is clear is that is the most thought out and comprehensive option that has been presented. It takes into consideration the needs of the average person and the big corporations. It balances public and private. It is what we need at this moment in time.

Take action: call your legislators and urge that they support the President’s plan. Call them, no matter what party they represent; they need to know that their constituents want health care reform. Go online to find your legislative contact info at www.usa.gov/Contact/Elected.shtml.

The President’s Council of Advisers on Science and Technology released a report that says that over 50 percent of the population will contract swine flu this season, with up to 1.8 million ending up in the hospital for treatment and up to 90,000 actually dying from the disease.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the most respected health agency in the country – if not the world – doesn’t see such a scenario playing out. While the group withheld from stating numbers, they did say that recent statistics show any outbreaks of swine flu will be much milder than the President’s Council reported.

Swine flu is a respiratory infection that is caused by a type of influenza viruses. The outbreak of what is called swine flu involves a new strain that’s a combination of swine, bird and human influenza viruses. It can spread from human to human.  Based on its wide spread, the World Health Organization has declared the 2009 outbreak of swine flu a global pandemic.

Even though leading agencies differ on just how serious this year’s infections will be it is important that we all work to keep ourselves healthy and to stop the spread of swine flu. Following basic sanitary rules and common sense will go a long way in ensuring the disease doesn’t reach pandemic proportions this flu season.  Washing hands thoroughly and often, with soap and water using a hand sanitizer is key. Flu viruses can survive for two hours or longer on surfaces such as doorknobs.  If you do feel sick, stay home.

If you are infected with swine flu, you can give it to others starting 24 hours before you develop symptoms and for up to seven days later.  Anyone with flu-like illness should avoid other people until at least 24 hours after they are free of fever. People who work or live in spaces where there are lots of people – such as a dorm – should take extra precautions to ensure they remain healthy.

It is unfortunate that government agencies are unable to clearly estimate just how serious swine flu will be this season. But we must not let the confusion deter us from taking our health – and the health of others – seriously. Our efforts can go a long way toward preventing and outbreak.

There are about 100,000 family physicians, which include primary care doctors and general pediatricians, in the U.S. healthcare system. In the next ten years, we will need close to 140,000 family doctors but are currently only attracting half of that number.  According to the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP), the number of medical school graduates entering this field has dropped over 51% in the last two decades. There are many reasons for this: the lower pay, longer days and less prestige key among them.

The country is spending quite a bit of time discussing health care and reforming the current system. If we are to truly revamp the way health care is administered in this country, we must consider all of the needs of the patients…and that includes producing qualified doctors who can serve them.

Congress should contemplate legislation that provides incentives for those who choose to become primary care physicians. Forgiving a portion of student loans for those who do is a good start. The average medical school grad owes hundreds of thousands of dollars in loans. Providing government funded salary increases in another option. Family care physicians typically earn less than half that of a highly specialized doctor. Along the same lines, tax breaks for family care doctors, increasing the money they take home, could also be used as an incentive.

If something isn’t done, the AAFP predicts a shortage of 40,000 family physicians by 2010. We will see longer lines in doctor’s offices and more people using the emergency room for basic care, increasing medical costs for everyone and defeating the purpose of the healthcare plan the Obama administration is working to pass.