Healthcare Racial Discrimination
Numerous of accessible online sources show evidence that people of color face significant disparities in access and utilization of healthcare compared to white people. As stated in Key Facts on Health and Health Care by Race and Ethnicity, there are a total of 32.3 million non-elderly uninsured and people of color account for fifty-five percent. Non-elderly people of color are ratio to more than four in every ten individuals living in the United States, that is forty-one percent of the total population. People of color face increased barriers and have lower utilization to healthcare compared to white people. Several ways people have acknowledged the influence of racism within healthcare comes from the individual’s ethnic background, idea of other ethnicity, income and or affordability, primary language, extension of education, location on residency, and health history.
David Williams, a professor of public health at Harvard, stated in How race can impact your health care, “Racial discrimination is ubiquitous within our society, and it affects health and health care.” Discrimination is not overt or intentional but based on upbringing and social norm. No one is born a racist, racism is taught. A research study by Dr. Knox Todd shows that fifty percent of Latino patients compared to twenty-five percent of white patients at UCLA medical center received pain medications. He conducted the same study at Emory University in Atlanta and found out that if a black person came in with a broken arm or leg is less likely to get pain medication compared to a white person. If any doctor holds a subconscious bias towards a group of people, it will affect their health care provision. Theoretically, if the physician is racist to specifically Asians, he or she would most likely treat patients of any other race better.
Racial and ethnic minorities are, more likely than non-Hispanic Whites, to be considered poor or near poor. Poor people compared to high-income people receive the worse care and the worse access to care as stated in Disparities in Healthcare Quality Among Racial and Ethnic Minority Groups. In 2008, the percentage of people with healthcare coverage with less than a high school education was about fifty-seven percent as for those with at least some college education was eighty-nine percent. In other words, a high school drop-out would most likely not get health insurance compared to a college student that is more likely to have healthcare coverage. Basically stating that higher education leads to better chances of getting health care coverage.
Limited English proficiency is a barrier to quality health care for many Americans. In 2007, there were two hundred and eighty-one people in the United States that were over the age of five. More than fifty-five million people reported to speaking a different language than English at home. Many of those people lack health insurance. English is a common language being used everywhere, making it hard for those that English is their second language to communicate with nurses, doctors and even comprehend prescriptions. Assuming that any one person would think if they can not read, speak, or understand English would not bother getting health insurance. On the other hand, health insurance comes easy to those that can fluently read, speak, and comprehend English.
Based on estimates from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), more than twenty-nine million people in the United States, or more than nine percent of the population, have diabetes. The economic burden is also significant, with an estimated cost of two hundred and forty-five billion dollars in the United States. Medical expenditures for those with diabetes is more than two times higher than those without diabetes. In 2012, costs of disability, work loss, and premature death was estimated at sixty-nine billion dollars. With those numbers, anyone can assume that costs of any major health conditions would cost a fortune, which explains the possibility that low-income individuals may not be able to afford healthcare as higher-income individuals would.
Located in the southeastern part of the United States is a location known as Diabetes Belt. This belt, covers counties from 15 states, including large sections of the states of Alabama, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina, Tennessee, and West Virginia. Differences in demographics and risk factors between counties in the diabetes belt and the rest of the U.S. include a higher proportion of non-Hispanic African Americans, higher prevalence of obesity and sedentary lifestyle, and a lower proportion of people with a college degree. In addition, individuals in the United States with less than a high school education had a twofold higher diabetes-related mortality than those with a college degree or higher education, after adjustment. Similarly, individuals without college education were more likely to have poor control of their diabetes than those with some college education. Basically generalizing that if one educates themselves about their health condition (may it be a genetic disease, a current health issue or even for further education) and maintain a healthy or healthier lifestyle, most likely they would have a better idea with healthcare coverage compared to an individual that lacks the care or interest.
People of color compared to white people seem to have the worse end at every angle when it comes to healthcare. Less chances of the best care, less chances of access, and less chances to afford. True, that no everyone is the same. Not everyone’s health is the same, nor are their needs the same. But being treated differently because of your race is nowhere close to making any sense. How is it possible for two men come into the same clinic with the same health condition be treated differently or the expense for either side be any different? Well, the answer is as clear as day. The white man received the best treatment, while the colored man received the worst treatment. The white man got the cheaper top quality procedure, while the colored man received the more expensive low quality procedure. Again, it all comes down to discrimination. Society has everyone believing that people of color are nothing compared to white people. Colored people are labeled as poor, lack of education and whites are supposedly smarter and wealthier.
White people can afford to pay for health insurance and receive all of the above when it comes to doctor visits. People of color can not afford health care coverage. They only go to the emergency if they think they are about to die. They pay cash every time they visit the clinic and for every medication they have ever taken. To receive health care coverage either one gets it through employment or when applying for health insurance one must have proof of employment. Here in the United States, white people think they are at the top. If you are not white you are an illegal. When you’re an illegal you are automatically either unemployed or working under the table for cash. Then you are profiled as to not being able to afford healthcare coverage. It’s like a domino affect, one racial discrimination after another. White people, good healthcare. People of color, worst healthcare. Everything with white people are the best, for people of color are the worst. White people mean high-income (rich), people of color mean low-income (poor). White people can afford to pay for everything and anything, people of color can barely afford their needs. English is the best, any other language is rhetorical. Higher education leads to better healthcare, anything lower than college can’t afford healthcare. Anyone living in the area of Diabetes Belt needs to pay more for healthcare because of their higher chances of becoming diabetic. Why does healthcare have to make the world seem and sound so horrific? There needs to be a better solution that doesn’t involve the obvious racial discrimination.