11 November 2022

If you've been paying attention for the past 15 or so years, the Christmas shopping season begins right after October 31. Retail stores pack away their Halloween decorations, maybe leaving some decor visible for one more day to celebrate el Dia de los Muertos. Years ago (last century), the gift shopping season started after Thanksgiving, but now the pressure to BUY! BUY! BUY! starts at the beginning of November.

If you are like me, then you reject the gift-buying propaganda. You know that the best Christmas (or other holiday) gifts are not wrapped. Instead they are in the form of time spent with your loved ones, sharing stories, playing games and even exercising with them to make up for all those tasty holiday treats.

One of the best gifts we can give our loved ones is the gift of good health. No, we don't mean buying them yoga mats, athletic shoes and fitness center memberships. Instead, by this we mean to gift them with YOUR good health....and longevity.

If you are a more mature reader, then you probably have noticed some striking changes in your health over the years. For example, your ability to "eat all you want and not gain a pound" is a thing of the distant past (tragic!). You used to be able to stay up all night "turning up" and then work a full day on the job but now you struggle staying up past 10:30 p.m. You might have also noticed some disturbing changes in your medical reports that lead you to reflect on health conditions that led to premature deaths in your family.

Premature Deaths

Thankfully, most of our elders have lived until their 70s, 80s or even longer. However, some family members and friends are developing diseases and are transitioning early---way too early. From heart disease, cancer and COVID-19, to racism, economic oppression and murders, Black families and communities are weakened when would-be patriarchs and matriarchs do not live out their full years.

The following chart illustrates the top 15 causes of death for Black Americans during the period 2018-2020.

With these statistics in mind, we will occasionally revisit the topic of giving your family members your best health, starting this month with health insurance.

Health Insurance Helps to Level the Playing Field

With access to health insurance, Black Americans can visit with doctors, get tests and in the event of illness, receive adequate care and treatment---sometimes requiring a great deal of advocacy, which will be a topic for a future post. The first gift that we ask that you give to your families this holiday season is health insurance for yourself and others. Then set, and go to, wellness and screening appointments.

November is health insurance enrollment time. Whether you are a Medicare recipient, employee of a company that offers its employees medical insurance, or if you are buying for receiving free insurance made possible by Obamacare, this is the month to review your coverage and make changes appropriate for you and your family members.

The number of Americans without medical insurance has been declining over the past few years. According to the CDC, in 2021, about 13.5% of Black Americans do not have health insurance. The charts below illustrate trends in various populations during 2019-2021 and the relative sizes of uninsured populations as of 2021 (source: CDC).

The Biden administration wants more Black people to get insured, according to theRoot. Despite gains made in providing medical insurance, consider the 13.5% of our community, individuals who are not covered. Encourage your family members who are uninsured to take advantage of low- or no-cost insurance available on Healthcare.gov.

We often joke about staying healthy so we can get back what we paid into Social Security but really, we do want to live long enough to continue to make an impact on multiple generations of our families.

For the culture. For the community. For life.