The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010 (ACA) was meant to support minorities receiving the necessary medical help through the insurance system. Even before the COVID-19 pandemic, the ACA benefits for African Americans have been questionable, as the proposed insurance plan was obligatory for a while, and the premiums have risen significantly. The unexpected virus problem of 2020 left many Americans without an income. The employment decreased across the whole country, but it declined more for African Americans than white employees. That left millions of people without health insurance coverage, in addition to the need to search for a new job. Since racial discrimination in the U.S. still exists regarding employment, it would be even more challenging for African Americans to find work and provide for their households during the pandemic.
In addition, repealing of ACA without providing an affordable alternative is also discussed by the U.S. government. That would mean losing health coverage and protection from preexisting conditions for millions of people. Since proportionally, more African Americans were using ACA than white people, their suffering from the consequences of its cancellation would be greater. For years, health care inequality has been a problem for people of color. They trusted the government when they offered changes but never got an affordable, balanced service in return.
Racial discrimination has historically been an issue in numerous spheres, including law and jurisdiction. With each new suggestion and failure to deliver the appropriate service, the African American community was more reluctant to spend any of their funds on change of the system. COVID-19 made the situation more urgent and desperate, so mistrust of the black communities regarding the U.S. health care delivery has increased further. The American government has to consider affordable alternatives for all the citizens who experienced the negative effect of COVID-19, focusing on minorities, as their position is especially desperate after a year of uncertainty.
