Written by Athira Vinod | Edited by Sameer Rajesh and Nicole Xu

When advocating for the overall wellbeing of the community, it is important to consider the opportunities available to each and every individual encompassed by that community. In the US today, however, people of certain identities are more vulnerable to health conditions because of the disparities that exist in healthcare. Health disparities can generally be defined as differences in access to quality healthcare across groups of people. Being a part of minority groups in relation to socio-economic status, sexual orientation, education, and race, among others can put one at risk of receiving a reduced level of medical care. 

Although health disparities can emerge from a variety of differences in identity and lifestyle, racial and ethnic minorities in particular have suffered greatly in terms of health disparities. These groups have faced worse health consequences for decades as a result of differential treatment. The Heckler Report, created by US Health and Human Services Secretary Margaret M. Heckler, was a critical turning point in the conversation around racial and ethnic disparities (Riley). Released in 1985, the report initiated a dialogue about health disparities among racial minorities, addressing a longstanding problem for the first time. The Heckler Report brought alarming inconsistencies in medical care to attention. It claimed, for instance, that 45% of black deaths (age 70 or below) could have been avoided if better medical attention was offered (Riley). The report’s explicit listing of such statements instigated the conversation around health disparities in race that is still very alive today. When considering the severe decline in the health and life expectancy of racial minority groups, it is clear that discrimination and prejudice are at the root of this lack of access to healthcare. Biases, implicit and otherwise, have resulted in inadequate methods of testing, evaluation, and care among racial and ethnic minorities.

Efforts have since been made to bridge the gaps in differential medical care within the US. In 2013, the Institution of Medicine took on the initiative of reviewing renowned medical studies and articles for racial bias and subsequently explained their findings in a report as proof of health disparities (Riley). In addition, as a proactive attempt to erase the disparities in treatment of individuals from various backgrounds, organizations like the American Medical Association have also provided resources to guide physician treatment of all people, including tools to best help various populations, such as the disabled community (“Reducing Disparities in Health Care”). However, there are still several challenges that must be overcome to remove health disparities, one of the most significant being the cost of healthcare, which stands as an obstruction to those from lower socio-economic backgrounds seeking health insurance coverage (Woolf and Braveman, et al). Additionally, the persistent belief that differences in care are contrived has hindered the fight against health disparities. Continuing these efforts is essential in furthering the possibility of more equal grounds in healthcare. 

Bibliography

“Reducing Disparities in Health Care.” American Medical Association, www.ama-assn.org/delivering-care/patient-support-advocacy/reducing-disparities- health-care. 

Riley, Wayne J. “Health Disparities: Gaps in Access, Quality and Affordability of Medical Care.” Transactions of the American Clinical and Climatological Association, American Clinical and Climatological Association, 2012, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3540621/. 

Steven H. Woolf and Paula Braveman, et al. “Where Health Disparities Begin: The Role Of Social And Economic Determinants-And Why Current Policies May Make Matters Worse.” Health Affairs, 1 Oct. 2011, www.healthaffairs.org/doi/full/10.1377/hlthaff.2011.0685.