An Employee Benefit News Article recapped a digital town hall where the National Alliance of Healthcare Purchaser Coalitions gathered representatives of employer groups from around the nation to discuss the impact of coronavirus on employee health, as well as how economic disparities prevent many in the workforce from accessing a healthy lifestyle. Neil Goldfarb, President and CEO of the Greater Philadelphia Business Coalition on Health, stated, “While economic stress, lack of healthcare and food insecurity have affected a large portion of the population due to coronavirus, minorities are disproportionately affected.” The presentation referenced a report by Dr. Anthony Fauci, Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, that cited 72% of coronavirus-related deaths in Chicago are African American, even though they make up 32% of the city’s population. Similar rates occurred in Wisconsin; within Milwaukee County, 72% of COVID-19 deaths were African American, even though they only make up 28% of the county’s population. “I [also] saw results from my hometown in Philadelphia, and they’re showing similar rates,” stated Neil Goldfarb. “Hopefully we can talk about what employers and coalitions can do to not only shine bright light on the problem, but start to solve it.”

View the EBN article here.

Access the National Alliance Town Hall here .