Quick Facts on Disparities in Health Care

Disparity is defined as a difference in character or quality. With the upcoming U.S. presidential election, there has been a lot of talk about national health care. As the cost of heath care continues to rise, the number of insured individuals continues to decline.

According to the Web site http://www.familiesusa.org (devoted to promoting quality, affordable health care), lack of medical insurance is the third leading cause of death in the United States. For years this site has documented what happens when there’s no health care or poor health care. Facts prove that racial and ethnic minorities in the United States experience major differences in heath care compared to whites. There are many factors which contribute to the disparity in health care. The disparities can be divided into two categories: The first category involves factors such as genetics, personal behavior, environmental factors and personal decisions about health. The second category relates more to race or origin. It includes things such as discrimination, bias, language barriers and preferences in health care.

The following statistics, worth noting, are listed on their Web site:

• African Americans are two times more likely to have diabetes than whites.
• American Indians/Alaska Natives have diabetes rates that are nearly three times the national rate.
• Latina women who were newly diagnosed with lung or breast cancer were diagnosed in later stages and had lower survival rates than white women with similar conditions.
• Nearly six in 10 Latinos and four in 10 African Americans were uninsured for all or part of 2002 and 2003.

When individuals have regular health care they are more likely to receive health screenings, timely diagnoses and earlier treatment of chronic illnesses. Uninsured individuals are less likely to get regular health care. Racial minorities make up one-third of the U.S. population, yet they comprise more than one-half of the uninsured. The facts prove that access to health care is the greatest cause of disparity in our current health care system–something for all of us to think about when the issue of national health care comes up.

Margaret Norton, a Personal Life Coach/Writer/Speaker, resides in St. Peters, Mo.

(photo credit: adrianclarkmbbs)

April 12th, 2009 by admin | Posted in Health Insurance | (24)