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Dear Community:
Tomorrow, we invite parents and caregivers to join us for an important community conversation: "Empowering Parents: When Our Kids Are Carrying More Than We Can See!" from 9–11:30 a.m. (doors open at 8:30 a.m.) at the Holloman Center for Social Justice (3539 Reading Rd., Suite 100). This gathering is designed as a safe, supportive space for parents and caregivers of youth ages 10–18 to share, learn, and strengthen the support systems our young people need.
Our work is more urgent than ever. Recent research highlighted by Dr. Wayne Rawlins estimates that health inequities cost the U.S. $360 billion each year, driven by differences in life expectancy, chronic disease and access to care. That burden – already about $1,000 per American annually – could reach $3,000 per person by 2040.
These disparities affect every community, workplace and family. It reinforces what we already know: We Must Save Us. I hope you will join us tomorrow, and I wish all of you a safe and healthy week ahead!

Renee Mahaffey Harris
President & CEO
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The Cliff of Good Health: Fighting Back Against ACA & Medicaid Cuts
Millions of Americans are being pushed off the Cliff of Good Health. Skyrocketing health insurance costs, a crumbling safety net, and attacks on public health have endangered families, including seniors, children, and people with chronic conditions.
The expired Affordable Care Act (ACA) tax credits and Medicaid cuts passed by Congress put up to 15 million Americans at risk of losing health insurance over the decade, and millions more face ACA premiums nearly 114% higher than the previous year. Nearly 24 million Americans were covered through the Affordable Care Act marketplace, including small business owners, self-employed workers, those in the gig economy (rideshare drivers, delivery workers, and creatives), those whose jobs didn't provide health insurance, and part-time workers. But a hostile political climate triggered devastating cuts across the board.

Black Americans are among the hardest hit. Already saddled with lower life expectancies and pervasive health disparities due to structural inequities, the recent policy losses pile on financial pressures and increase the likelihood that people will forego and delay even necessary care.
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What Health Inequities Are Really Costing Your Company
Health inequities cost the US an estimated $360 billion annually, according to Wayne Rawlins, MD, council chair for the Medical Director Advisory Council at the National Alliance of Healthcare Purchaser Coalitions. Rawlins spoke about the financial impact of health disparities on employers and what purchasers can do to address them in an interview with The American Journal of Managed Care.
Citing Deloitte actuarial research from 2022, Rawlins said the $360 billion figure reflects the estimated increase of costs tied to differences in life expectancy, mortality, health service utilization, and chronic disease prevalence across populations, which is rising each year. On a per capita basis, that amounts to approximately $1000 per American per year, rising to $3000 per American by 2040, based on the projections.

Rawlins noted that health disparities are not limited to Medicaid or uninsured populations. His research found that inequities also exist within commercially insured populations, meaning employer-sponsored plans are directly affected. For employers, he said, this translates to higher medical costs, rising premiums, lower productivity, and worse workforce health outcomes.
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Colorado House Passes Bills to Address Health Disparities for Communities of Color
DENVER, CO – The House today passed two bills, sponsored by Representatives Regina English and Junie Joseph, to improve health outcomes for Coloradans, especially Black women. HB26-1044 passed by a vote of 49-13 and would improve Black maternal health care in Colorado. HB26-1135 passed by a vote of 42-20 and would require a warning label on haircare products that may include known carcinogens or chemicals that could cause infertility or birth defects.
“Black women face the highest maternal mortality rates in the nation; it’s clear we need to do more to protect our mothers and their children,” said Rep. Regina English, D-Colorado Springs. “This bill calls for improvements to our maternal health surveys to better capture concerns from community members, specifically women of color who are pregnant or postpartum. We also passed legislation to require a warning label on certain cancer-causing haircare products. By improving communication, demanding cultural competency, and pushing back against discrimination in health care, we can reduce the impacts of maternal mortality and save lives in Colorado.”
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Public Health study: Life-span gap is widening for Black Bostonians
The average Black man in Boston lives to 71.8 years – a life expectancy 9.3 years less than that of other men in Boston and the lowest of all groups included in a study released last week by the Boston Public Health Commission (BPHC).
In the 11-year period from 2013 to 2024, the life expectancy gap between Black women and men and their counterparts of other races doubled from 3.3 years to 6.6 years.
Mayor Michelle Wu gathered with city officials last Friday at the Yawkey Boys and Girls Club in Roxbury to announce the report’s findings and city initiatives aimed at improving health outcomes in the Black community. “We cannot claim Boston as a beacon of health care while entire communities are left in the dark,” she said. “A beacon that only shines on some is no beacon at all.”
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Black women face major barriers to menopause support: new study
Black women in the UK are entering menopause severely under informed, under supported, and often dismissed by healthcare professionals, according to new research from the UCL EGA Institute for Women’s Health.
Published in the journal Post Reproductive Health, researchers say the study highlights urgent gaps in menopause education and calls for culturally competent care to address longstanding health inequalities. The study - the first UK wide survey to focus specifically on the menopause experiences of Black women - gathered responses from 377 women aged 40 to 70, with women recruited via adverts on social media platforms, including Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter.
Researchers found that 88% of Black women received no menopause education at school, while over half (58%) felt completely uninformed before the age of 40 - with many participants revealing they felt frightened and unprepared when symptoms began. The survey showed most women sought help only once symptoms were severe, often turning first to friends or social media rather than health services.
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Black communities in Austin face increased heart health challenges, prompting urgent call to act
While meaningful progress continues in reducing health disparities, Black communities in Central Texas still face disproportionately higher rates of heart disease, stroke and hypertension, according to the American Heart Association’s 2025 Heart Disease and Stroke Statistical Update. These persistent gaps contribute to significantly higher mortality rates, underscoring the urgent need for sustained, community centered intervention.
As part of its nationwide Heart Month and Black History Month initiatives, the American Heart Association, devoted to creating a world of longer, healthier lives for all, is calling for renewed action to close the survival gap through education, advocacy and to learn Hands Only CPR. The Association’s mission remains clear: ensuring that every person, especially those at greatest risk, learns Hands-Only CPR.
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Closing the Health Gap Partners with Local Organizatiosn to Present 15th Annual "Spring Into Being Healthy" Fair on March 18 in Cincinnati
Event Schedule:
- 10:30 AM – One-Mile Power Walk
- 10:50 AM – Balloon Release
- 11:00 AM – 1:00 PM – Health Fair
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