National Minority Health Month 2023: A Focus on Understanding

At Humana, we believe every person deserves the opportunity to receive the best health care possible and to achieve their best health, regardless of their background. Each April, Humana recognizes both Diversity Month as well as National Minority Health Month. While honoring the differences that make person unique, Humana acknowledges the unjust, avoidable and unnecessary barriers to health that have been experienced by ethnic and racial minority groups in the United States.

Established in 1915 by Booker T. Washington and Congressional support solidified in 2002, National Minority Health Month highlights the need to improve health outcomes for racial and ethnic minorities across the country. In service of this year’s theme, Better Health Through Better Understanding, our Health Equity and Social Impact (HESI) team is hosting a speaker series for Humana employees focused on deepening understanding of barriers to health and solutions to enable fair, just and dignified care for all.

It's quite apropos that the month where we take time to raise awareness around minority health issues across the country is the same month we are called as a nation to celebrate diversity. As we celebrate the beauty of this diverse nation and all the communities that make up its fabric, let’s remember that everyone cannot experience health in the same way, and so our call to action is to ensure that we are caring for the health and futures of minorities in this country from whatever seat we sit in.

The HESI speaker series includes a fireside chat between Dr. Aletha Maybank, Chief Health Equity Officer and Senior Vice President for the American Medical Association and myself. The chat will be followed by an all-employee town hall with a keynote from Dr. Rishi Manchanda, CEO at HealthBegins, a national firm that helps Medicaid-serving clients advance health equity for the people they serve.

As you may know, Humana is committed to improving access to care, quality of care and the removal of barriers to health for all members, patients and communities we serve. To learn more about how we are transforming care, I invite you to read Humana’s Impact Report.

Did you know?

• It is estimated that only 14 percent of the U.S. population has proficient health literacy?
• Nearly 20 percent of people in the U.S. speak a language other than English at home?
• It is estimated that over 60 percent of racial and ethnic minority patients over the age of 18 believe it is at least somewhat important to visit a health care provider who shares or understands their culture?
• In 2021, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office of Minority Health (OMS) awarded $250 million to local governments to promote evidence-based health literacy strategies that are culturally appropriate?

To quote Oprah Winfrey, “I firmly believe none of us in this world has made it until the least among us has made it.” That is why we are committed to advancing health equity, this month and always.