Research Underscores Disproportionate Impact of COVID-19

The Center for Medicare Advocacy continues to bring attention to the disproportionate impact of COVID-19 on minority and immigrant households. Recent research includes:

Center on Budget and Policy Priorities:

• More Relief Needed to Alleviate Hardship: Households Struggle to Afford Food, Pay Rent, Emerging Data Show

“The economic fallout from the pandemic began in earnest in the latter half of March. Since then, job losses have been larger than at any time during the Great Recession and hardship has hit extremely high levels. The health impacts of the virus, job losses, and serious measures of deprivation — difficulty affording food and being behind on rent — are widespread, affecting tens of millions of people.

But the impacts are not affecting all groups evenly, with the crisis hitting Black, Latino, Indigenous, and immigrant households particularly hard. Inequities, driven by racism and discrimination, in education, housing, employment, and health care, among other factors, mean that workers in these communities disproportionately work in low-paid jobs that have been heavily affected by the crisis, households have fewer assets to fall back on in hard times, and individuals are more likely to have underlying health conditions.”
Kaiser Family Foundation:

• Growing COVID-19 Hotspots in the U.S. South and West will Likely Widen Disparities for People of Color

“The large number of people of color living in COVID-19 hotspots coupled with the already disproportionate impact for people of color will likely lead to further growth in disparities as the outbreak shifts to the South and West. Potential growing impacts for the large shares of Hispanic and Asian people living in these areas heighten the importance of providing information and services in linguistically and culturally appropriate ways and addressing potential fears that could make those who have an immigrant family member hesitant to access services. Prior to the pandemic, growing research showed that many immigrant families were increasingly fearful of accessing services, including health care services, due to recent immigration policy changes. Rising cases will likely compound the major challenges AIAN people already are facing due to the pandemic and widen disproportionate impacts for Black individuals, as these groups are at increased risk of experiencing serious illness if they contract the virus due to high rates of underlying health conditions. People of color also are at increased risk of exposure to the virus, face increased barriers to testing and treatment, and are more vulnerable to financial challenges due to the pandemic due to social and economic circumstances.”

• In Medicare, Black and Hispanic Individuals Account for Disproportionate Share of COVID-19 Cases and Hospitalizations

It is essential to continue to shine a light on research like the works cited above to ensure that it is central to policy proposals developed in response to the pandemic.