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Let’s face it, Black folk have a long and often ugly relationship with the healthcare system in the United States. Years and years of malpractice and lack of access have eroded the trust of the Black community in a healthcare system that many believe was designed to keep us sick and use us a human guinea pigs. As Harvard historian of science Evelyn Hammonds notes, “disparity is built into the system.” Yet, the Black community still faces daunting health disparities and the need for healthcare is dire. Unfortunately, Congress is currently considering legislation that could perpetuate these long-standing barriers between the Black community and access to quality, affordable healthcare.

We’ve all heard the stories. The infamous and unethical Tuskegee Syphilis Experiment where Black men were intentionally not given proper treatment for the disease for the purposes of a “clinical study”. The harvesting, culturing and subsequent profiteering from the cells of Henrietta Lacks, a Black mother, without her knowledge. And most recently, the postpartum crisis of elite athlete Serena Williams, who developed a pulmonary embolism and had to demand the proper treatment from her doctors.

But it goes even deeper than this, manifesting in many in the Black community seeking to diminish their health problems or simply not seek help at all. We give our ailments nicknames like “the Sugar” (diabetes) or “Arthur” (rheumatoid arthritis), to lessen the sting of having to deal with the realities of these very painful, even deadly diseases. While this may be cute for a quick chuckle, it can be devastating in the long-term.

We see this firsthand at the Northeast Ohio Black Health Coalition. As we work to educate, advocate and empower our community with the necessary information about their health, we often must combat the myths, misconceptions and outright fears that Black people may hold regarding our healthcare system. Moreover, as healthcare prices spiral out of control, we have to worry about more than just the rationing of medications through practices like pill cutting, but the reality that Black patients won’t even bother to purchase the often life-saving medications they need. As Congress works to pass healthcare legislation, they must not undermine their efforts by removing key, life-saving practices that have long been in place to protect the consumer.

The legislation in question, the Lower Health Care Costs Act, does include language which would reduce barriers to access, and costs for patients. But some of the provisions of this legislation being considered by Congress have nothing to do with access, or cost, at all. Section 207, hidden within the much larger bill, could undermine quality standards for biologic drugs in the United States.

For years the United States has adhered to the standards established by the United States Pharmacopeia (USP), governed by a group of independent science experts. Their standards are essential for ensuring the quality of medicines for patients and the practitioners who prescribe, dispense and administer them. If enacted, the proposal to eliminate the requirement that biologic products comply with USP quality standards would have broad negative consequences to public health – with the greatest impact being in communities of color.

We can’t afford to further complicate the relationship between the Black community and the healthcare system. The glaring health disparities in the Black community require real solutions, not more barriers. If the United States is serious about ending the inequalities in our healthcare system, they must start by removing the language from the Lower Health Care Costs Act that would jeopardize the quality of biologic medicines and potentially, the health of patients.

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Yvonka M. Hall, MPA, is the executive director of the Northeast Ohio Black Health Coalition.

Yvonka M. Hall

Writing since October 2019 · 1 story contributed