Written By: Jessica Frazer, 16, Indiana
Healthcare. A word we’ve all heard 100 times. But what is it and why is it always being talked about? Healthcare is defined as the organized provision of medical care to individuals or a community. In easier terms, it’s the treatment given to a person who needs it with problems ranging from broken bones to disease. So what’s the problem. In this article, we will address two major issues in the healthcare system: Systematic Racism and non-universal healthcare.
Systematic Racism in America’s healthcare system is a very real and very dangerous thing. It specifically targets all people of color, including African Americans, Latinos, and Native Americans. Systematic Racism is used to talk about all of the policies and practices entrenched in established institutions that harm certain racial groups and help others. In other words, it’s an underlying discrimination that allows healthcare professionals to mistreat patients based on race or ethnicity. Before we dig deeper, I would just like to clear up that not every healthcare professional takes advantage of this system. There are many honest, socially progressive doctors that treat all patients the same, but there are a few that corrupt the system in place, causing the need for change.
Let’s look at the stats. According to Native Americans, one in four feel discriminated against when going to the doctor or clinic. In 2016, Congress set the Indian Health Service budget at $4.8 billion. Spread across the US population of 3.7 million American Indians and Alaska Natives, that's $1,297 per person. That compares to $6,973 per inmate in the federal prison system. Because of this small limit of money per, their quality of help is limited. One Native mother shared that when her son broke his arm, his arm was improperly set and the doctors refused to change it. With a story like this, one must consider the difference in treatment between a person of color and a white person. Would the same thing happen to a white child as the native? In many cases, it wouldn’t. As for African Americans, racial discrimination remained the most common reason cited by blacks for receiving poor service or treatment from doctors and hospitals. Overall, the extreme racial discrimination seen in America’s healthcare system needs an astronomical reformation to level with today’s society.
We next need to address the lack of universal health insurance in America. Universal health insurance is coverage that pays for medical and surgical expenses so the costs aren’t as high for the patient. For example, if someone needed spinal surgery, rather than paying $80,000, they may only have to pay $5,000, depending on the coverage they have. So why doesn’t everyone get this amazing thing? We have failed as a country to accept the responsibility of those in need, and rather brushed them under the rug as people that will “find a way.” Meanwhile, a millionaire with no issue paying their medical bills gets top insurance that ensures a rather inexpensive procedure/treatment. The system is flipped. The less fortunate lack the help they need while those rolling in surplus get the top ‘discount.” As of 2017, 41 million people in America were under-insured, meaning their insurance covered a very little percent of their medical bills. This does not take into account the number with no insurance all together. With every other bill to pay in life, from rent and car payments to the mortgage and groceries, it’s just not possible to cover all of this with a working class salary.
As a nation, we need to do better to be better. To be patriotic is not to carry a gun and worship the flag, but to be devoted to the people of that nation. Of any race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, ability level, etc., it is our job as a whole to be accountable for all people and their well-being. We must lose the idea that it is every man for himself, but rather it is every man for his people. Reformation of the healthcare system to take care of minorities and help everyone in need is just one of the first steps to the betterment of this country.