COVID-19 has laid bare and will likely exacerbate the glaring inequity faced by communities of color due to a “constellation” of factors. COVID-19 related health disparities, driven by economic and social circumstances such as living conditions (e.g., residential segregation, multigenerational households, overrepresentation in jails and prisons) and employment (e.g., greater numbers in service industries), are compounded by the physical and psychological effects of a legacy of discrimination and racism for these individuals.
Given Medicaid’s role in delivering care to low-income individuals, including many in Black and Hispanic communities, the program is uniquely situated to help mitigate the spread of COVID-19 and address related health disparities. Medicaid agencies can leverage existing and new authorities, enabled through recent COVID-19 federal regulatory flexibilities, to develop a broad plan for addressing disparities in the near-and long-term.