[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 159 (2013), Part 5]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages 6152-6153]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                         MINORITY HEALTH MONTH

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. G. K. BUTTERFIELD

                           of north carolina

                    in the house of representatives

                         Friday, April 26, 2013

  Mr. BUTTERFIELD. Mr. Speaker, I rise to promote Minority Health Month 
and spotlight the health disparities that plague our communities.
  In a 1985 report, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services 
(HHS) called health disparities in this country ``an affront both to 
our ideals and to the ongoing genius of American medicine.'' Now 28 
years after HHS released that landmark report, health disparities still 
exist between black and white and rich and poor.
  A significant driver of these disparities is the lack of health 
insurance. For instance, African Americans make up 13 percent of the 
entire

[[Page 6153]]

population, but account for more than half of all people who are 
uninsured. Blacks also have disproportionately lower access to primary 
care, often receive poorer quality of care, and face more barriers in 
seeking treatment for chronic diseases.
  That is why I am pleased that the month of April is designated as 
National Minority Health Month. It provides an opportunity for all 
Americans to learn that healthcare disparities still exist. It also 
provides an opportunity for government, industry, non-profits, and 
advocacy organizations to combine efforts to help curb healthcare 
disparities.
  My fellow colleagues, every American deserves the opportunity to live 
a healthy life regardless of economic means or ethnicity. It is this 
belief that led the Obama Administration to pass the Affordable Care 
Act.
  Following in the President's footsteps, I will continue to promote 
Minority Health Month during my district work period by visiting the 
Metropolitan Community Health Services, the Halifax Regional Medical 
Center, the Roanoke Rapids Clinic, and several other healthcare 
facilities in the First Congressional District.
  Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in advancing health 
equity in every community. As leaders, we have an obligation to reverse 
health inequality through awareness and championing the importance of 
preventative healthcare.

                          ____________________