Cost of racial disparities in health care put at $229 billion between 2003, 2006

Racial health disparities cost the United States $229 billion between 2003 and 2006 - money that could help cover an overhaul of the nation's health care system, according to a new report by Johns Hopkins and University of Maryland researchers. Minorities are generally sicker and more likely than whites to die of numerous diseases, and until now, medical experts and advocates fighting to close those gaps have made their pleas on moral grounds. But the new figures aim to break down the issue into dollars and cents at a time when everyone is trying to figure out how to rein in soaring health care costs. "The statistics are just stunning and shocking," said Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius, during an announcement of the findings Thursday. "There is no question that reducing the health disparities can save incredible amounts of money. But more importantly, it saves lives and it makes us a healthier and more prosperous nation." If the country is serious about reforming health care, policymakers need to find ways to erase these inequalities, said Thomas A. LaVeist, director of the Hopkins Center for Health Disparities Solutions and an author of the report.