Despite new laws to keep people from voting and gerrymandering election districts to take away the power of minority communities, the Republican “red wave” that pollsters predicted ahead of last week’s midterms didn’t happen.
Whether it is other philanthropists, local or regional health centers, or state and federal officials, there is a desperate need for creative solutions to getting more people screened and saving more lives. Smith’s initiative is an innovative approach, but there are other ways to spread awareness and boost screenings in the Black community.
Protests and unrest in 2020 sparked by the police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis, shined an even brighter spotlight on police brutality against African Americans.
“Right now, under the Affordable Care Act, it is your right to have access to lactation support and counseling without cost-sharing for as long as you are breastfeeding. If the ACA gets struck down, then insurers will not be required to cover it, which could have devastating impacts on new parents,” noted Andrea Ippolito, a health tech expert and founder of SimpliFed, a company that assists mothers who breastfeed.
Congresswoman Maxine Waters (CA-43) issued a statement condemning the highly offensive White House Briefing Room remarks by U.S. Surgeon General Jerome Adams who singled out African Americans, saying they should avoid “alcohol, tobacco, and drugs,” and encouraged minorities to “do this, if not for yourself, then for your abuela. Do it for your granddaddy, do it for your Big Mama, do it for your pop-pop.” Her statement follows:
Known as “surprise medical billing,” these unexpected costs arise when a patient goes to a hospital for emergency or non-emergency care, only to find out afterwards that one of the medical providers who administered care was not covered in the patient’s insurance network.
The Community Reinvestment Act was enacted in 1977 as a direct response to redlining, an unethical practice whereby banks and other lending institutions made it extremely difficult, if not impossible, for residents of poor, inner-city communities to borrow money, get a mortgage, take out insurance or access other financial services. Redlining did not take into consideration an individual’s qualifications or creditworthiness.
The OCC hopes stakeholders will carefully review the proposed changes and submit comments so that a final rule can be issued in the first half of 2020.