Health Care Inequalities

Health Care Inequalities

The “American Dream” ideology envisioned a country fueled by equality, liberty, and justice. However, structural inequalities across the country, particularly in the healthcare system, threatened the philosophy that would otherwise have provided an ideal environment for all Americans. Income disparities contribute significantly to healthcare disparities. In 2013, the average family wealth for whites was 10- 12 times that of Hispanics and African Americans, respectively (Dickman, Himmelstein & Woolhandler, 2017). Today, the wealthy have a better chance of living 10-15 years longer than the poor.

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Before the passage of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), roughly 25% of Americans lacked access to health insurance. As a result, more than 101,000 citizens die each year due to being unable to afford the high cost of healthcare. Today, many low-income earners do not meet the Medicaid eligibility criteria. While Obamacare, a government subsidy, aims to help the working poor, the policies are only implemented in select hospitals and physicians, making them inaccessible. Healthcare inequalities raise the cost of medical care for everyone. Most financially disadvantaged people who do not have access to preventive care end up in emergency rooms. According to the Emergency Medical Treatment and Active Labor Act, hospitals must treat every patient who arrives in the emergency room (Amadeo, 2020). Service providers spend about $10 billion annually on uninsured patients and pass the cost on to Medicaid, resulting in more significant tax deductions.

Policy Changes to Address Health Inequalities

Healthcare inequalities affect people at the bottom of the economic ladder and people in the middle. Growing disparities in the face of policies like the ACA highlight the importance of implementing reforms consistently. Given the deep connection between income and health, public policy must bend toward economic equity. According to a study by the RAND Corporation, implementing procedures that support educational advancement, particularly in early childhood education, will significantly contribute to efforts to achieve economic equity (Khullar & Chokshi, 2018).

While pursuing income equality, housing mobility initiatives must also be considered. The Moving to Opportunity Program’s long-term effects revealed that children who moved out of impoverished neighborhoods became more economically empowered later in life than the remaining group (Khullar & Chokshi, 2018). Supporting low-income earners through charitable programs such as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and direct financial assistance can significantly reduce health disparities. Continued investment in programs like the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) may help low-income earners achieve health equity.

Policymakers must also examine the ACA critically and make necessary changes to ensure that more citizens are insured and that healthcare providers provide quality services. To ensure that more low-income earners have access to healthcare insurance, the Supreme Court decision in 2012 that allowed states to opt out of the Medicaid expansion program at will should be reversed. Nurses and other critical healthcare providers in primary care must also perform their duties professionally and without regard for socially constructed attitudes toward race and gender (Sprayberry, 2014). To ensure professionalism and accountability among health providers, primary healthcare reforms must place a greater emphasis on patient outcomes and the delivery of high-quality patient-centered care.

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References

Amadeo, K. (2020). How health care inequality increases costs for everyone. The Balance. https://www.thebalance.com/health-care-inequality-facts-types-effect-solution-4174842

Dickman, S. L., Himmelstein, D. U., & Woolhandler, S. (2017). Inequality and the health- care system in the USA. The Lancet, 389(10077), 1431-1441. https://doi.org/10.1016/s0140- 6736(17)30398-7

Khullar, D & Chokshi, D. (2018). Health, income, & Poverty: Where we are & What could help. Health Affairs. https://www.healthaffairs.org/do/10.1377/hpb20180817.901935/full/

Sprayberry, L. (2014). Transformation of America’s Health Care System: Implications for Professional Direct-Care Nurses. Medsurg nursing: official Academy of Medical-Surgical Nurses journal, 23(2). https://www.researchgate.net/publication/261441176_Transformation_of_America’s_health_c are_system_implications_for_professional_direct- care_nurses/link/5ccb290392851c3c2f8171ee/download

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Based on the Johnson & Johnson video, what are your thoughts about healthcare inequalities and the need for continuing reform? (Share at least 2 points of view.)

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• Your initial post should be at least 600 words, formatted and cited in the current APA style, with support from at least three academic sources.

Why Racial Disparities in healthcare make COVID-19’s impact worse for Minorities (1:58)
Johnson & Johnson. (2020, August 25). Why racial disparities in healthcare make COVID-19’s impact worse for minorities [Video]. YouTube. https://youtu.be/CXNkDDWxGxk
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