[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 149 (2003), Part 7]
[House]
[Page 9949]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                      MINORITY HEALTH DISPARITIES

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentlewoman from Indiana (Ms. Carson) is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Ms. CARSON of Indiana. Mr. Speaker, I would like to first extend my 
gratitude to the gentlemen from Texas, Mr. Rodriguez and Mr. Hinojosa, 
along with the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, for organizing this 
special order tonight to discuss minority health issues.
  Earlier today, the Congressional Black Caucus, the Congressional 
Asian Pacific American Caucus, the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, and 
the Congressional Native American Caucus held a rally to call attention 
to the need to increase health care access.
  In my home State of Indiana, Mr. Speaker, there were over 1.4 million 
people who did not have health insurance at some point last year. That 
is 26 percent of the nonelderly population.
  Universal, affordable access to health care would be a major factor 
in eliminating the vast health disparities for minority populations. 
Affordable access to health care for the minority populations is a 
matter of economics as well as life.
  I am sure many Members of Congress, Mr. Speaker, saw today where 
Bethlehem Steel in Maryland has sold out to another company, and all of 
the longstanding, hardworking employees there subsequently lost their 
health insurance.
  In Indiana, black or African Americans comprise 8.4 percent of 
Indiana's population. The top leading causes of death plaguing the 
African American population are heart disease; cancer; cerebrovascular 
diseases, predominantly stroke; and diabetes.
  In the Hispanic population, the leading causes of death are heart 
disease, cancer, and unattended injuries.
  In Indiana, a 20 percent excess mortality rate from incidence of 
heart disease exists for African Americans in comparison to whites; a 
23 percent excess mortality rate from incidence of cancer exists for 
African Americans in comparison to whites; a 23 percent excess 
mortality rate from incidence of cerebrovascular disease, predominantly 
stroke, exists for blacks by comparison; a 105 percent excess mortality 
rate from the incidence of diabetes exists for blacks in comparison to 
whites. These excess rates not only take life, but create economic 
hardships of hospitalization, prescription drugs, and loss of income.
  April is National Minority Health Month. We need to use this time to 
reflect on what changes need to be made in the way we view access to 
health and who gets the best treatment.
  In Indiana, African Americans die at a higher rate, 25 percent. Per 
100,000 population, cancer, 72 percent more African Americans; 
diabetes, 33 percent more deaths; heart disease, 73 more African 
American deaths; stroke, 18 percent more deaths.
  The numbers are very troubling and alarming. Mr. Speaker, we must do 
something to counteract the disparity in health care and health 
insurance for minorities across this country.
  Last year, the Institute of Medicine came out with a study: ``Unequal 
Treatment: Confronting Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Health Care.'' 
It found that racial and ethnic minorities in the United States tend to 
receive lower quality health care than any others.
  The report made many recommendations as to what should be done; and 
certainly, Mr. Speaker, we need to consider very seriously universal 
health care, not just to undergird the disparities that exist in 
minority health care, but to ensure that people across racial and 
economic lines access quality medical care in the same spirit and in 
the same way that current Members of Congress do.
  Mr. Speaker, again I would like to commend the gentleman from Texas 
(Mr. Rodriguez) for calling this special order tonight. I trust that at 
the end of the conversation and the dialogue, that America will be 
better informed and Congress will be moved to act.

                          ____________________