Health

Having health insurance helps people afford necessary medical care, which helps them live healthier lives. Massachusetts continues to lead the nation in making sure all its residents have health insurance, but progress has stalled. Further, some communities of color continue to encounter obstacles to getting health insurance and still see higher levels of uninsurance compared with the state overall.

The decennial Census counts for much more than a tally of every resident of the country. The Census is the country's snapshot: it creates our most accurate picture of everyone who lives here and where they live.

The opportunity to live a healthy life begins long before a person shows up at the doctor's office or hospital; health begins where people live, learn, work, and play. There is growing recognition that greater attention to the social determinants of health - things like having stable housing, safe, walkable neighborhoods with accessible transportation, grocery stores with affordable, nutritious options, schools that are equipped to provide high-quality education, and incomes that enable families to make ends meet - is critical to making meaningful improvements to health. This paper briefly examines the health impact of one program that provides economic support ...