Racial Equity, Health Care, and Aging Policy: Historic Links

As we celebrate Black history month, it’s a good time for those of us in the field of aging and elder justice to acknowledge the interconnections between the civil rights movement and health and aging policy in America. A noteworthy example is Medicare, which was established in 1965 under amendments to the Social Security Act as part LBJ's Great Society agenda, along with the Civil Rights Act of 1964. To receive Medicare funds, hospitals had to end discriminatory practices like denying admitting privileges to Black patients or segregating or denying access to Black patients. Eliminating health disparities and promoting universal health care coverage have been priorities of the National Medical Association (NMA), the nation’s oldest and largest organization representing African American physicians and health professionals, which was created in 1895 when Jim Crow laws prevented Black doctors from joining the American Medical Association. https://nmanet.org/