The Inequities in the United States Health Care System
The health-care system in the United States is one of the public administration areas with the greatest inequities. The inequities dilemma has resulted in inadequate health care, lesser quality, and fewer health priorities for individuals on the receiving end (Barr, 2008). The research is designed to provide insight into what types of disparities exist in health care, why such disparities matter, how the disparities have risen, and what measures are being made to remedy the disparities (Ubri & Artiga, 2017). In the United States, health care inequalities relate to differences in the delivery of health care based on population. The disparities are contributed to by environmental, political, societal, and individual factors among others. <\/p>
Ethnicity, Race, and Income as Leading Factors for Health Care Disparities
However, ethnicity, race, and income have been among the leading factors for a long period (Barr, 2008). Research indicates that populations are being provided with health care basing on whether an individual is Hispanic, Black, Asian, or White. For instance, the disparity based on income has been reported to be at the highest level with those citizens considered to be poor constituting about 38.2% of the population that report having fair or poor health, while the richest layer of population constitutes only about 12.3%. Furthermore, the people of color and blacks are reported to experience the worst health care in the United States, because they lack access to the health care, since fewer health facilities are set up in the areas, which these groups occupy (Barr, 2008). The government, through the Department of Health and Human Services and the Affordable Care Act (ACA), has made efforts in an attempt to reduce the health disparities by setting up a vision that targets to increase coverage, especially for the moderate and low-income populations (Ubri & Artiga, 2017). By instituting ACA, disparities regarding uninsured health care rates have been reduced significantly. However, the disparities regarding coverage have remained unchanged as the moderate and low-income earners, especially for the people of color and blacks, whereby their access to quality care has failed to be improved.<\/p>
Impact and Cost of Health Care Disparities
The topic is of interest because too many groups in the United States are facing the disparities that are contributing to the loss of lives (Frieden, 2013). The failure of certain groups accessing quality health care services based on race will fuel feuds due to the growing gap between the whites, who receive better services and other groups present. Moreover, the disparities affect not only those groups that face the disparities, but also the entire population, as it prevents improvement of the health care quality for the entire population. In fact, the disparities result in the state incurring unnecessary costs, since the work productivity is lost, as people face imminent premature death (Ubri & Artiga, 2017). The indirect costs coupled with the medical expenditures that arise from health inequities make it necessary for research to determine the causes and possible solutions for the inequality.<\/p>
Relationship to the Course Outcomes
The topic relates to the outcomes of the course. Furthermore, it provides a gateway into understanding the causes of inequities experienced in the health care as a sector of public administration (Frieden, 2013). Examining the means through which the federal government is resolving the disparity challenge has been considered. Thus, the topic offers an insight into understanding and embracing diversity and inclusion in public administration. <\/p>
References
Barr, D. A. (2008). Health disparities in the United States: Social class, race, ethnicity, and health. Baltimore, MD: Johns Hopkins University Press.
Frieden, T. R. (2013). CDC Health Disparities and Inequalities Report-United States, 2013. Foreword. MMWR supplements, 62(3), 1-2.
Ubri, P., & Artiga, S. (2017). Disparities in Health and Health Care: Five Key Questions and Answers. The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation. Retrieved on July 10, 2017 from http://www.kff.org/disparities-policy/issue-brief/disparities-in-health-and-health-care-five-key-questions-and-answers/
