Reply to the following two classmates’ posts. In your reply posts, incorporate challenges you would anticipate for the proposals, as well as arguments to overcome those challenges. Each reply should be 200 to 400 words.
TURNITIN ASSIGNMENT (FREE OF PLAGIARISM)
POST # 1: Bethany
POST # 2: Carla
Minority racial and ethnic groups do not have access to the same level of care as racial and ethnic majority groups. The disparity between these groups influences disparities in other socioeconomic aspects. Therefore, legislation to reduce these disparities is key to improving the quality of life of racial and ethnic minorities. The Affordable Care Act (ACA) has reduced these disparities in a historically unprecedented manner (Baumgartner, Collins, Radley, & Hayes, 2020). Since 2016, much of this progress has stalled. It is important to note the strides made in reducing healthcare disparities prior to 2016. This is evidence of a legal basis for the reduction of healthcare disparities. It is clear that legislation can provide easier access to healthcare for racial and ethnic minorities. It is opposition to this legislation that increases disparities. The Republican party, in efforts to repeal the ACA, has created circumstances that stall the progress made by the ACA. Thus, the previous disparities and issues in healthcare will return. Given that legislation has been proven successful at increasing healthcare access and quality for racial and ethnic minorities, it stands to reason that future legislation will have the same impact. One such public policy measure is education on nutrition and food. Many racial and ethnic minorities are medically disadvantaged because of social determinants (Thornton et al., 2016). Increasing awareness of health nutrition is key to increasing the demand for increased health resources. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that Native Americans were almost twice as likely as non-Hispanic whites to have type-2 diabetes (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC], 2016). Decreased access to healthy food and quality healthcare contribute to this dangerous statistic. Thus, a public policy requiring early education and nutritional intervention must also include food assistance and aid. It is not enough to simply state what is needed. Racial and ethnic minorities will continue to be left behind unless greater attempts are made. A second public policy measure that may aid in decreasing health disparities should move to increase the number of care providers in minority communities. Minority neighborhoods have far fewer healthcare options that racial majority neighborhoods, and many lack the resources to care for serious illnesses (Kaiser Family Foundation, 2008). An improvement in this area could be done in many ways. Increasing the number of racial and ethnic minorities in healthcare may increase the number of providers in minority communities. Furthermore, improving the state of hospitals and provider offices in minority communities may attract better physicians. Supplying minority communities with adequate resources is key. This includes personnel. Encouraging more minority students to pursue health, and stay within one’s home community, will increase access to care over successive generations. Health and healthcare disparities observed by researchers must be addressed through public policy. The ACA provided legal precedent for the effectiveness of such policy initiatives. These disparities will not disappear without proper action. Racial and ethnic minorities would greatly benefit from an expansion in public healthcare. An expansion (perhaps to a single-payer system) would afford minorities the opportunity to address chronic illness and concerns with a professional without fear of large medical bills. Furthermore, an expansion in public health would affect all communities, thus providing an easy and efficient means of addressing disparities across numerous communities, not only minorities. Thus, public policy in healthcare is not only effective, it may be required to preserve the sanctity and integrity of the American healthcare system.
References Baumgartner, J., Collins, S., Radley, D., & Hayes, S. (2020, Jan. 16). How the Affordable Care Act has narrowed racial and ethnic disparities in access to health care. Retrieved from https://www.commonwealthfund.org/publications/2020/jan/how-ACA-narrowed-racial-ethnic-disparities-access Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2016). Strategies for reducing health disparities. Retrieved from https://www.cdc.gov/minorityhealth/strategies2016/index.html Kaiser Family Foundation. (2008, Oct. 20). Eliminating racial/ethnic disparities in health care: What are the options? Retrieved from https://www.kff.org/disparities-policy/issue-brief/eliminating-racialethnic-disparities-in-health-care-what/ Thornton, R. L., Glover, C. M., Cené, C. W., Glik, D. C., Henderson, J. A., & Williams, D. R. (2016). Evaluating Strategies for reducing health disparities by addressing the social determinants of health. Health Affairs (Project Hope), 35(8), 1416–1423.