Health Care

Health care access has always been a controversial subject. The United States government has never given citizens the right to free health care. However, around the world developed countries are beginning to supply health care to their citizens and it is greatly paying off for each country. It now seems the United States is moving in that direction; especially now that President Obama passed the health care reform. This new measure will raise taxes based on earned wages and provide more health care for poor citizens. Now the question is, how does the United States decide whom to give medical attention to?

The unusual thing about the United States health care system is that it reports health status based on race as opposed to social class difference. And race differentials are half that of socioeconomic status differentials. In my opinion, that is not the right method to use because it does not account for socioeconomic status. By definition, socioeconomic status is a measure of an individual’s or family’s relative economic and social ranking based on income, education, social standing, and occupation. According to the course book, the socioeconomic differences between racial groups are the reason for the patterns of racial disparities in health status. Therefore, the United States should look to aid minorities first, because they are the ones that need health care most according to statistics based on health status. Also, whites have the lowest rates of mortality. I think much of the health care inequality has to do with the fact that whites earn higher wages and income and also most importantly more assets. In addition, whites are not suspect to racism in comparison to minorities, especially blacks.

First and foremost, blacks have a declining economic status, which results in worsening health status than whites and other minorities, starting during the slavery era. Thus, blacks have been experiencing a widening racial gap in life expectancy caused by many factors. For one, blacks have a history of receiving more illnesses. These illnesses are a consequence living in highly concentrated city neighborhoods where a lot of stress accumulates from poor living conditions. Moreover, the migration to the north after the emancipation changed their lifestyle greatly. It was a shift from church and family life to a more taboo style of tobacco and alcohol. Gradually over time racial equality has grown, however, wealth and income has not. Consequently, on every level of socioeconomic status, blacks have a worse health status than whites. As time has gone on, wealth and health have improved for all citizens, but blacks still do not share equal health care as whites.

All in all, the United States is progressing toward national health care and the new enacted health care reform is a strong indication of things to come. The reason for health inequality seems to be historical and also the method that the US uses to report health care. Over time, the manner should change and progress with the changing state of the US population. Once the US majority are minorities, things must be different. Otherwise many people will be dying and a strong line will be made between whites and nonwhites. Hopefully, in the near future minorities receive equal attention and free health care will revolution the country and produce revenue.