Second, Black, Latino, and other communities of color, already more likely to be uninsured, have been disproportionally burdened by COVID-19 and the related economic fallout. Systemic racial and ethnic inequities in health care access and quality have contributed to higher hospitalization and mortality rates from COVID-19 among Black, Latino, American Indian, and Alaska Native individuals, among others.

Third, the pandemic has exposed the vulnerability of health providers reliant on the fee-for-service payment system. Many are facing steep revenue losses and the threat of closure as social-distancing restrictions, fear, and a nose-diving economy have driven down both the supply and demand for routine and elective care.3

Finally, the country faces many unanswered questions on the extent to which COVID-19 and the ongoing economic fallout will contribute to suicides, deaths from alcohol and substance use, and further erosion of Americans’ life expectancy.