The Affordable Care Act may leave many of the poor and people of color behind.

That’s the view of this year’s president of the American Public Health Association, Dr. Adewale Troutman, who spoke in Denver last week.

“We are trying to incorporate 30 million people into a health care insurance system that is broken. The system is fragmented. Inequalities flourish and prevention is an afterthought,” Troutman said during an event on health equity sponsored by The Colorado Trust.

“The system doesn’t necessarily change just because you have more people in it,” he said.

While the Affordable Care Act, which goes into full effect next year, will help millions of people get health insurance, it does not guarantee that they’ll get decent care. Nor does it go far enough to reverse disparities that cost lives every day, Troutman said. Read more about Dr. Troutman’s presentation here.