Julianne Malveaux: Marginalized communities need more doctors, Medicare policy must address shortages

(TriceEdneyWire.com)—Unequal access to high-quality health services is one of the most pervasive problems in America’s healthcare system. Far too often, communities of color face reduced access, higher costs, and less comprehensive care and support than their predominately White counterparts.& While this has been a growing cause for concern for decades, several factors—including the economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, ongoing supply chain issues, the increasing cost of providing medical care, high inflation, and a growing healthcare workforce shortage—have brought health equity issues to the fore. Add to that a broken Medicare physician payment system that is reducing access to care nationwide, and you have a recipe for disaster. Throughout the Los Angeles region, there are a& troubling number of federally designated Health Professional Shortage Areas, with disproportionately low-income, Black, and Latino neighborhoods seeing the greatest need.& According to the California Health Care Foundation, low-income Californians are the least likely to have access to a regular healthcare provider, and Black and Latino Californians are more likely than White Californians to report waiting longer than reasonable for a doctor’s appointment.& California is not the only place that will experience improvements in health care access with the passage of HR 2474, but its...