Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Disparity In Longevity Between Black, White Americans Narrowing, But Gap Still Remains
Black Americans still have a higher death rate over all than whites, but the gap is closing, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported on Tuesday. Black Americans who live to 65 may now expect to live longer than whites of the same age, the federal researchers also found. (Kolata, 5/2)
Blacks experienced a 25 percent drop in their overall death rate, compared to a 14 percent decrease for whites, between 1999 and 2015. Deaths from heart disease, cancer and stroke declined sharply among blacks 65 and older, and in that age group, blacks now have a lower death rate than whites, the CDC said. But its report shows that the United States has a long way to go before it achieves health equity. Blacks in every age group under 65 continue to have significantly higher death rates than whites. Black life expectancy at birth is about 3陆 years lower than that of whites. (Achenbach, 5/2)
"This report is definitely good news," says Joseph Betancourt, who runs the Disparities Solutions Center at the Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, Ma. "Efforts over the last 15 to 17 years that have focused on addressing and eliminating disparities have definitely provided some significant results." (Stein, 5/2)
