With the current state of the union reflecting an 8.5% unemployment rate, one cannot help but wonder what the impact of this historical moment means. Even those who didnt want to admit it before realize that we are, and have been for some time now, in a recession. As a result, it is inevitable that as unemployment rises, so does the number of people who cannot afford needed treatment, quality care and preventative medicine. One would hope that the economic hardships facing many Americans at this time would not only encourage, but heighten demands for massive reform of our healthcare system. Yet, while pending, there has been little movement in the ocean of new public policies and lobbied legislation. As a nation, we find ourselves at the same impasse; much debate fueled by mechanisms for reform, which lead to insufficient improvements being made.

Though these staggering truths are evident, the discussion regarding the health care crisis is not a new one. The discussion has gone on for decades and though much of the dialogue has been documented, it has been poorly addressed by our government at the federal level. Furthermore, the racial inequalities surrounding access to healthcare epitomize the nations inability to create a balance between the haves and the have- nots. The result is continued discord during a time when the country has dire need of coming together in the name of progress.

One of the most important issues concerning communities of color is the extensive need for economic development in order to improve over all social well-being and quality of life. Healthcare reform is and should continue to be at the forefront of this dialogue. A study conducted by the Common Wealth Fund reveals that the main racial disparities are referenced to health status and mortality, accessibility, insurance coverage, and the quality of services rendered. People of color are less likely to have employer-sponsored coverage and are three times as likely to be uninsured as White Americans. These statistics are not only disparaging, but terribly troubling.

So what are the implications and why are these issues cause for concern? The goal of public health is to improve the overall lives of a society through the prevention and treatment of disease. Currently, public health initiatives are mainly handled through state and local health departments. These efforts are not enough. The barrier to healthcare reform is not understanding or knowing what works; it is the lack of political resolve to make sensible reform happen. Fortunately, the sense of urgency regarding health care reform at the federal level has been revived through the Obama administration and our nation has a unique opportunity for policy change. Presently, five congressional committees are working on the core ingredients for future health care policy and legislation. Despite the political resistance regarding health care reform, a federal universal health care coverage law is ambitiously scheduled to happen by years end.

With the Obama administration plan, more and more Americans would choose healthcare under the federal health system, due to the lesser cost and continued quality of care. Consequently, private-sector health insurance would be forced to compete with this system and inevitably the federal health system would drive costs down. At the moment, there has been a consensus among the congressional committees to lower the age-eligibility of Medicare and to expand the income eligibility requirements for Medicaid. This effort will increase the percentage of the public who will have the option of coverage under the federal system.

In the past, our government has failed to live up to the spirit of the Founding Fathers who fundamentally established this nation based on the concern for the common good of man and their right to have the freedom to choose. But, perhaps, many of todays leaders dont share that vision. Consider this statement from Tony Benn, a British Politician who was quoted in a 2007 documentary by Michael Moore:

If we can find money to kill people, you can find money to help people&Keeping people hopeless and pessimistic  see I think there are two ways in which people are controlled  first of all frighten people and secondly demoralize them&An educated, healthy and confident nation is harder to govern.

Benn puts it best when he goes on to state that choice depends on the freedom to choose. Your choice for a healthy life is limited when you are uninsured and forced to go to an emergency room for care, or visit a clinic that isnt completely free. Does it not make sense that educated, healthy and confident people be strong benefits to their country? How is it that many other countries around the world realize that a populations health and vitality is the single greatest contributor to national power and prosperity? Is it true that we as a nation are still holding on to vestiges of a separate but equal doctrine by saying that only those who have access to care, be given better quality health care? Though we are continuously working on leveling the playing field, I believe that in many ways we remain separate but equal. Fortunately, with health care reform, the threat has not gone overlooked by citizens who are constantly organizing in state, regional and national advocacy groups to endorse national reforms. Get your engines ready, I see a grassroots movement in mass proportions demanding that Washington act responsibly in offering coverage to more than 40 million uninsured Americans.

Mary Nnene Okeiyi, a nursing student, works in Advancement Projects communications and operations departments. Advancement Project is a civil rights organization that advocates for racial justice.