Too often, racial and ethnic minorities receive a lower standard of health care than other Americans. The federal government has recognized this serious problem and has set the goal of eliminating racial and ethinic health disparities by the end of the decade. House and Senate Democrats introduced legislation, the Healthcare Equality and Accountability Act of 2003, that takes an important step toward making this national goal a reality. The bill has been referred to the Senate Health and Labor and Pensions Committee.