A recent article in the NY Times reports that differences in life expectancy for richer and poorer Americans have grown in the last two decades, paralleling the growth of income inequality in the last two decades. This illustrates the importance of closing the opportunity gaps for both Financial Stability and Health, as the two are clearly interrelated.
One of the top goals of “Healthy People 2010,” an official statement of national health objectives issued in 2000, is to “eliminate health disparities among different segments of the population,” including higher- and lower-income groups and people of different racial and ethnic background.
United Way Capital Area seeks similar goals within its Health Focus Area, addressing gaps in care, including access to services for older adults, primary care and behavioral health supports.
Don’t forget to save the date for Hands on Central Texas’ Echoes of Color Film Series in April, as these issues will be the focus of that month’s presentation of Unnatural Causes, a film that sounds the alarm about America’s glaring socio-economic and racial inequities in health – and search for root causes..