Sankofa Educational Leadership United Company 

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Access to services in wisconsin 

8 May 2019

Black women and access to healthcare 

Data released by the U.S. Census Bureau show that, despite significant health insurance gains since the Affordable Care Act (ACA) was implemented, pervasive coverage disparities remain for Black women. The ACA began to correct gaps in access to insurance coverage for women by expanding Medicaid coverage, establishing marketplaces to shop for insurance and providing financial assistance to make coverage affordable. The ACA also guaranteed coverage for a robust scope of benefits, including maternity care, preventive care, mental health services, prescription drugs and more. Black women continue to have higher rates of many preventable diseases and chronic health conditions including diabetes, hypertension and cardiovascular disease compared to their white counterparts. Evidence shows that people with health insurance are more likely to have a personal physician and receive routine checkups than those without coverage. Therefore, health insurance provides access to the care Black women need to get and stay healthy, including preventive care, routine screenings and management of chronic conditions.However , why is it so hard to get medical care for black women even if they are sufficiently insured ? Many doctors fail to see black women as vulnerable, or human . Hence , they do not respond to symptoms that black women are describing at their appointments forcing them to get emergency care instead of managed care . How many white women do you think present themselves to the pcp with symptoms and their pcp refuses to take the lead on their healthcare team , or include the patient as a member of that team . Hence , the lack of healthcare that black women receives has nothing to do with a lack of insurance or insurability , and it has everything to do with white supremacy in liberal Wisconsin .  I will firmly say that the number one problem for African Americans as it relates to healthcare after affordability is access to quality healthcare related to racial biases. Many healthcare providers grow up in homes that teach them subtle to overt racism. These healthcare providers bring these biases with them to their practices each and every day. Some are not aware of their biases until they meet a bold unapologetically and informed patient who can call them on their biases. I have over and over again sought medical care and received what I now call the Racial bias express evaluation. They barely laid physical hands on me and they never asked me probing questions. They spoke to me as if I had a third grade education despite being aware of my collegiate achievements. I had to become my own healthcare advocate and advocate for exceptional healthcare for myself. I had to visit several physicians , I’m hoping that the one I meet on Monday is culturally competent and will treat me like I am human and deserving of healthcare  services .

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