Social Welfare Problem Policy and Alternatives-Academia (original) (raw)
Related papers
Disparities and Inequities in US Health Care
Family Medicine
Disparities and inequities based on ethnic and racial differences have been a part of health care in America from the time of its founding. These disparities have persisted through recurrent efforts to reform our health care system. This article brings historical perspective to what has become a systemic part of US health care; examines the extent of disparities today as they impact access, quality, and outcomes of care; and considers what can be done within our polarized political environment to eliminate them. It is hoped that this can help to spark dialogue within our discipline on these matters of critical importance. A single-payer national health insurance program, whereby all Americans can access affordable care based on medical need instead of ability to pay, can help to move our current nonsystem toward health equity. This change can bring improved health care to all Americans with simplified administration, cost containment, and less bureaucracy. It can be financed through...
Disparities In Health: Perspectives Of A MultiEthnic, MultiRacial America
Health Affairs, 2007
This 2006 survey of 4,157 randomly selected U.S. adults compared perceptions of health care disparities among fourteen racial and ethnic groups to those of whites. Findings suggest that many ethnic minority groups view their health care situations differently and, often, more negatively than whites. A substantial proportion perceived discrimination in receiving health care, and many felt that they would not receive the best care if they were sick. Most differences remained when socioeconomic characteristics were controlled for. The variety of responses across racial groups demonstrates the importance of examining ethnic subgroups separately rather than combined into a single category.
2011
Racial and ethnic disparities in health care have been consistently documented in the diagnosis, treatment, and outcomes of many common clinical conditions, including cardiovascular disease, cancer, and diabetes. The 2003 Institute of Medicine (IOM) report, Unequal Treatment: Confronting Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Healthcare, defines disparities as differences in treatment between racial, ethnic or other demographic groups that are not directly attributable to variation in clinical needs or patient preferences and persist even after adjustment for socioeconomic factors. The IOM report Crossing the Quality Chasm has highlighted equity—the absence of disparities—as a key pillar of quality. Although some improvements have been achieved, persistent health care disparities in quality and access, which vary in magnitude and pattern within minority subpopulations, were recently documented in the 2009 AHRQ National Healthcare Disparities Report. Health care disparities have a multidim...
Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Access to Health Insurance and Health Care
2000
Racial and ethnic groups in the United States continue to experience major disparities in health status. Compared to the majority non-Latino white population, racial and ethnic minorities bear a disproportionate burden of mortality and morbidity across a wide range of health conditions. These disparities in health status are compounded by reduced access to health care services. Although many factors affect health status, the lack of health insurance and other barriers to obtaining health services diminish racial and ethnic minorities’ utilization of preventive services and medical treatments that could reduce disease and contribute to improved health status. This report examines disparities in health insurance coverage and access to physician services across major racial and ethnic groups and subgroups in the United States. To examine the relationship of ethnicity and other factors on health insurance coverage and on access to health services, we analyzed two population-based survey...
Compiling The Evidence: The National Healthcare Disparities Reports
Health Affairs, 2005
Disparities in health care have been described extensively in the literature. The next step in resolving this national problem is to develop the necessary infrastructure for monitoring and tracking disparities. The congressionally mandated National Healthcare Disparities Report begins to build this infrastructure. The 2003 report addressed many of the methodological challenges inherent in measuring disparities. The recently released 2004 report continues the process by summarizing the status of U.S. health care disparities and beginning to track changes over time. Both reports emphasize the need to integrate activities to reduce disparities and to improve the quality of health care.
Unequal Treatment: Confronting Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Health Care
2003
Racial and ethnic disparities in health care are known to reflect access to care and other issues that arise from differing socioeconomic conditions. There is, however, increasing evidence that even after such differences are accounted for, race and ethnicity remain significant predictors of the quality of health care received. In Unequal Treatment, a panel of experts documents this evidence and explores how persons of color experience the health care environment. The book examines how disparities in treatment may arise in health care systems and looks at aspects of the clinical encounter that may contribute to such disparities. Patients ' and providers' attitudes, expectations, and behavior are analyzed. How to intervene? Unequal Treatment offers recommendations for improvements in medical care financing, allocation of care, availability of language translation, community-based care, and other arenas. The committee highlights the potential of cross-cultural education to improve provider-patient communication and offers a detailed look at how to integrate cross-cultural learning within the health professions.
Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Services and the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act
American Journal of Public Health, 2015
Objectives. We examined prereform patterns in insurance coverage, access to care, and preventive services use by race/ethnicity in adults targeted by the coverage expansions of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA). Methods. We used pre-ACA household data from the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey to identify groups targeted by the coverage provisions of the Act (Medicaid expansions and subsidized Marketplace coverage). We examined racial/ethnic differences in coverage, access to care, and preventive service use, across and within ACA relevant subgroups from 2005 to 2010. The study took place at the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality in Rockville, Maryland. Results. Minorities were disproportionately represented among those targeted by the coverage provisions of the ACA. Targeted groups had lower rates of coverage, access to care, and preventive services use, and racial/ethnic disparities were, in some cases, widest within these targeted groups. Conclusions. Ou...
ECONOMIC DISPARITIES IN ACCESSING HEALTHCARE AS A SOCIAL JUSTICE
2023
Quality access to healthcare is an essential and important element of social justice, representing the equitable distribution of resources in our society. This abstract highlights the multifaceted nature of economic disparities in accessing healthcare, their consequences on vulnerable populations, and the imperative of addressing these disparities to achieve social justice. Health care access is a fundamental human right and a critical determinant of overall wellbeing. However, economic disparities persistently obstruct equal access to health care services, thus presenting a compelling social justice issue. This paper explores the root cause of economic disparities in healthcare access, including income inequality, lack of health insurance, and the high cost of medical care. It examines the detrimental impact of these disparities in health outcomes, increased mortality rates, and limited preventive care. The pursuit of social justice necessitates comprehensive strategies to mitigate economic disparities in healthcare access. Thus encompass policy reforms such as universal health coverage, Medicaid expansion, and efforts to reduce pharmaceutical and medical services bills. In conclusion, economic disparities in accessing healthcare stands as a pressing social justice issue that demands immediate attention and action. By identifying the root causes, understanding their consequences, and implementing targeted reforms, societies can work towards achieving a more just and equitable health care system where access is not determined by individuals economic status.