A Critical Reflection On Health Inequality

The basis of this publication assesses the progress being made to health disparities, and the efficacy of efforts being made to address social determinants of those disparities. Furthermore, it also touches on the efforts being made to reduce health disparities on the federal, state, and local level.

For this paper and hereinafter health disparity is defined as “a particular type of health difference that is closely linked with social, economic, and/or environmental disadvantage. Health disparities adversely affect groups of people who have systematically experienced greater obstacles to health based on their racial or ethnic group; religion; socioeconomic status; gender; age; mental health; cognitive, sensory, or physical disability; sexual orientation or gender identity; geographic location; or other characteristics historically linked to discrimination or exclusion.”(healthypeople.gov). This definition is from Healthy People 2020, the guide for the Nation’s health promotion.

A health disparity according to Healthy People 2020 is “a particular type of health difference that is closely linked with social, economic, and/or environmental disadvantage” and most commonly affects groups of people that have been faced with

“Health disparity: A higher burden of illness, injury, disability, or mortality experienced by one population group relative to another group” ("Disparities in Health," 2012, para. 7). There are many factors which contribute to the disparities in health among certain groups here in the United States. The low income populations seem to be at the greatest risk when it comes to health inequality. Whether this is due to lack of education, access to services, or even neighborhood safety, the divide between the higher income populations and that of lower income populations are growing at an alarming

There are considerable health inequalities amongst Britain’s social classes. Health is formed by socio-economic, political and environmental factors; these elements shape inequalities and influence the health of various social groups in Britain.

Healthy People 2020 define health equality as “the attainment of the highest level of health for all people.” Comprehension of this ideal brings forth the conclusion that everyone should receive equal amount of attention to prevent inequalities, injustices, and to remove health and health care disparities. According to the National Institute of Health, health disparities are resulted from multiple factors defined by race/ethnicity, sex, education, geographic location, income, and disability status. These disparities can stem from many elements like increase risk for disease, which may originate genetically, by ethnicity, or familial factors, occupational exposure, and if access to health care is available. Health inequality has

The United States is plagued with stark health disparities across its communities (Institute of Medicine, 2013). Defined as the “variation in rates of disease occurrence and disabilities between socioeconomic and/or geographically defined population groups,” disparities describe the inequality of access to basic health services in America (HSRIC, 2016). Over the past decade, health reform has attempted to address this issue of health inequality by strategizing to insure more people and provide increased access to care.

What does health equity mean to you? In this paper, I will be discussing the factors that influenced by health disparities and social determinants. Many individuals and population group experience those factors which have caused many to have limited access to health care and the appropriate services they need. Though the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Healthy People2020 and six other agencies within the Department of Health and Human Services are implementing strategies to eliminate disparities, health equity, and improve everyone’s health, there are still groups who face higher rates of disease, morbidity, and mortality (Sokol, Moracco, Nelson, Rushing, Singletary, Stanley, & Stein, 2017). There are ways to help reduce health disparities and improve health equity.

I am writing to you mainly because I am alarmed about the health care system for minorities and their access to it. Health care access and insurance coverage are main causes that contributed to racial and ethnic differences before the ACA success. Most healthcare systems are recognized that black and minority populations have always experienced low wellbeing and difficulties in improving undeniable services. Securing the health gap for people in these population groups is now an important primacy. Groups such as African Americans, American Indians, in addition to other groups like Asians and Hispanics, are in jeopardy of inappropriate benefits of health-care. Health insurance expansions under the ACA, however, have resulted in a net increase of 16.9 million people gaining insurance between 2013 and 2015, allowing millions of previously uninsured individuals to access and utilize health care.

The difference in health outcomes and the determinants between parts of a population caused by social, demographic, environmental and geographic characteristics is defined as health disparities (Dore & Eisenhardt,2015). Societal, economic, and political forces impact social determinants. (Dore & Eisenhardt, 2015) have indicated that health inequities are avoidable and preventable when appropriate actions are taken to lower the risk of illness.

Health inequalities are preventable and unjust differences in health status experienced by certain population groups. People in lower socio-economic groups are more likely to experience health inequalities than people in higher socio-economic classes. Health inequalities are not only found between people of different

“Health is a state of complete physical, mental, spiritual and social wellbeing, and not just the absence of disease” (WHO, 1974). Health inequalities are the differences in health or healthcare opportunities in different societies this may be due to income,

classes are perhaps not as clear as they used to be. But it is just as

Healthy People 2020 basically describes a health disparity as a difference in health trends in a community that is closely related to low socio-economics. Disparities adversely affect populations who have experienced greater obstacles to health based on their socioeconomic status, age, mental health or other characteristics historically linked to systematic discrimination or exclusion (Healthy People 2020).

Explain patterned inequalities in health and illness. Evaluate sources of evidence with regards to class, gender, ethnicity and age