Cross-posted from the HealthCare.gov blog.

Martin Luther King, Jr. once referred to injustices in health as one of “the most shocking and inhumane" forms of inequality. Luckily, health reform is making serious strides in leveling the health care playing field.

In April of last year, we released an Action Plan to Reduce Racial and Ethnic Disparities, and already we are seeing how the Affordable Care Act is helping us move towards our goal of a nation free of disparities in health and health care.

Recently, we reported that 2.5 million additional young adults have gained health coverage because of the health care law. It allows young adults to stay on their parents' insurance plans through age 26. And this week, we announced that of this number, 1.3 million are racial and ethnicity minorities: approximately 736,000 Latinos, 410,000 Blacks, 97,000 Asian Americans, and 29,000 American Indian/Alaska Natives have gained coverage because of the law.

These statistics are more evidence that the health care law is taking the critical steps needed to ensure that more Americans get the health coverage they need and deserve – regardless of race or ethnicity.