Limited Access to Healthcare: Examining Factors Leading to Higher COVID-19 Hospitalization and Death Rates Among Black Americans

The novel coronavirus (COVID-19) has shed light on racial disparities in healthcare access. An analysis of hospitalization and death rates supports that Black Americans are disproportionately impacted by the pandemic when compared to their white counterparts. With no credible biological basis for this disparity, social determinants of health, specifically access to healthcare, have been examined to help explain the devastating impact on the Black community. National data demonstrates that Black Americans experience higher rates of unemployment brought on by the pandemic, leaving them without their typical employer-sponsored health insurance. Lack of Medicaid expansion across all 50 states only exacerbates this uninsured rate, leaving many without an insurance safety net. In the case of treatment and prevention services, historically segregated Black communities face a lack of access to COVID-19 tests in their own neighborhoods. Simultaneously, Black patients are more likely to access care at a later time, with many being tested for COVID-19 in a hospital rather than an ambulatory environment. Finally, the lack of cultural competency of the medical staff and workforce hinders the formation of collaborative relationships between patients and providers. This furthers feelings of dissatisfaction with one’s care, perpetuating mistrust and misbeliefs surrounding vaccination and COVID-19 treatment. Access to healthcare, due to its strong ties to policy, requires policy intervention: a national effort to expand coverage across all states, dedicating health resources to historically disadvantaged communities, and providing culturally relevant information about the pandemic to marginalized populations.