Social Justice Issue

I strongly believe that healthcare is a basic human right; however, the reality is that health care is often based on privilege and/or driven by employer benefits. There are many factors to consider when discussing healthcare as a basic human right. All individuals, regardless of income, race, or status should be treated equally when it comes to safe, effective, and quality health care. Even though I believe healthcare should be a human right, we have to consider how this would be feasible among different populations and societies. According toMaruthappu, Ologunde, and Gunarajasingam (2012) “a fundamental difficulty with considering healthcare as a right is that this right, unlike many others, is dependent upon the resources of a society,

“Of all the forms of inequality, injustice in healthcare is the most shocking and inhumane” –Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Health care is not a privilege. In fact, a good level and quality on healthcare should be an inalienable right for all people. Social class, status or economic situation shouldn’t dictate who live and enjoy of good health or who doesn’t. Healthcare in America should be universal, continuous, and affordable to all individuals and families. Although some of the states in the US are taking unilateral measures not to focus exclusively on the poor, but seeks to guarantee health access to any uninsured people, achieving universal coverage will require federal leadership and support, regardless of which strategy is adopted to achieve this

. Addressing health inequalities and health care is not only important from the point of view of social justice, but also to improving the health of all Americans by improving the quality of care and health of their children. People. Moreover, the difference in health is expensive. An analysis estimates that about 30% of total direct medical expenses for blacks, Hispanics and Asians are excessive costs due to inequalities in health. The difference also leads to economic losses due to indirect costs related to loss of productivity and premature mortality. (Artiga,

In this paper, I will describe the concepts of market justice and social justice, explain how the two principles complement each other and in what way they conflict in delivery of health care in the United States. Secondly, I will discuss how health care is rationed in the market justice and social justice systems. Finally, I will discuss the types of health insurance that is based on market justice and social justice principles.

Disparities in healthcare are a real and urgent problem in our nation. There is indisputable data supporting the fact that disparities exist not only across different racial groups, but also across the cultural and economic stratification of our society. Moreover, there is even data showing disparities among each of these respective groups along gender lines. So what can be done about these disparities to assure that all patients receive equal and adequate care? Well, there are certainly many political and governmental changes or modifications that would go a long way towards narrowing the gaps in healthcare, but such changes are beyond the scope of this paper. Instead, I will focus on the steps that I,

According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), “health equity is achieved when every person has the opportunity to attain his or her full health potential and no one is disadvantaged from achieving this potential because of social position or other socially determined circumstances” (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2015). Satcher (2010) reports that health inequities are “systematic, avoidable, and unjust” disparities (p. 6). He also states that the World Health Organization (WHO) concluded that social conditions are the most important determinant of a person’s health. Social conditions “determine access to health services and influence lifestyle choices” (Satcher, 2010, p. 6). These determinants must be addressed in order to reduce health inequity. Inequity can be

The U.S. healthcare has been dealing with disparities for centuries. These disparities can be racial, social, or economical. The disparities are easier to see when compared to other reference points, such as policies, procedure or protocol. Williams & Torrens, 2008 list several disparities when it comes to patient care, such as minorities are less likely to get diagnosed with cancer verses whites, patients with lower socioeconomic statuses are less likely to received diabetic services, and many more. In order to eliminate some there disparities it must first be recognized by others that it is a serious problem. These problems have been around for years; therefore the public must put pressure on the policymakers to promote change. In order

This notion of social justice views “assurance of the essential condition” for the well-being of humans as the means of government (Gostin, 535). As well it dissuades the idea that individuals are or should pursue their own self interest, but moreso furthers the approach of redistributing “social and economic goods” equal to everyone (Gostin, 535). This connects to the right to health. The right to health is an inclusive right, contains individual freedoms, contains entitlements, the attainability of goods without any discrimination and that these goods are available, accessible, acceptable and of substantial quality (The Right to Health, 7). This being addressed by recognizing the health disparities that inhibit from the right to health and finding the means or solutions to overcome them. The African American Health coalition has dedicated their time and resources to ensure that individuals within their target population are receiving and being provided adequate care and their right to health is not compromised by health disparities. The specific issues that they are currently directing their efforts into are brownfields, lead paint, limited healthy food choices, violence and criminal activity, lower socioeconomic status, low education levels, high population turnover, unhealthy lifestyle choices, and poverty (Common Ground Health). These factors are the core issues of social

For decades, a person’s socioeconomic status or SES has affected the healthcare that people receive due to race and “wealth”. This problem has plagued American society because of these factors leading to many receiving inadequate healthcare. All of these factors for someone’s SES has changed a lot in the healthcare domain that is unfair to many who are not the “ideal”. Due to this the perception, experiences with healthcare waver and are different between the stages of these SES’s. No matter the status of a person they should receive the same amount of care, treatment, and closer.

The topic of social justice was not always a passion of mine to pursue in life. Growing up in a small town it was always difficult to see the gaps in our society. It was not until I started working for a Christian nonprofit that helped change my philosophies. For the past three years, I have been working as a missionary with Destino; a Christian nonprofit that focuses on raising up a generation of Latino college students to go out and change the world wherever God has called them. Since moving out of my small town and into an urban environment I have been able to witness firsthand the struggles Latino college students face. The worries they face as an undocumented student paying their way through college because they do not qualify for financial aid. The problems within Latino culture and the importance of providing for their family rather than receiving a college degree. The difficulties of fighting racism as a minority student attending a majority culture university. These are only a handful of struggles my students face everyday living in Denver. Although working with Destino, I have learned the importance of being culturally aware and to continue fighting on to be a voice to others who are unable to

From a social justice perspective, quality healthcare is perceived as an innate right of every individual. The problem with this perspective is it is not a universally held sentiment. For example, individuals would argue from an economic standpoint that social justice is a “value” and healthcare is a commodity which drives our nation’s economy, thus presenting

The United States, as a developed, wealthy nation, possesses the largest disparity between social classes in relation to health care and access to health care services (Wright & Boorse, 2014). Because of this disproportion and regardless of spending the most health care dollars per person, the United States ranks lowest amongst developed nations in life expectancy, has the most children living in poverty, and the most people in prison (Wright & Boorse, 2014, p. 200). President Obama’s Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, passed by the U.S. Congress and the Senate in 2010, sought to correct the imbalances that exist between the classes in relation to both health care and health insurance with socialized medicine. While the Affordable Care Act has contributed to cost savings, reductions in fraud, abuse, and misuse of health care resources, along with health insurance for all, the Affordable Care Act has had an untoward, negative effect on the delivery of primary care (Mori, 2016). Hence, decision-making authority over primary care has shifted from the physician and into the hands of Accountable Care Organizations (ACO’s) created by the government, insurance companies, and private health care systems (Mori, 2016).

The issue with health care in the United States is similar to a domino effect. Each sociological factor such as race, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, and gender all inter twine. This domino effect occurs when one factor connects to another factor in which creates a cycle. This cycle involves inequality, discrimination, and unequal distribution of quality. According to multiple research and scholarly articles, the health care system displays many issues and flaws when it comes to the care and coverage for people depending on their social status.

A social justice issue that has mostly impacted my life would be reproductive rights/health, because of how I was born and the struggles I went through growing up as an in vitro/gestational carrier baby. Other important social justice issues that I have taken a deep interest include human trafficking, violence against women, and wage discrimination. While interning for Senator Heidi Heitkamp I was able to work primarily on these specific issues. Not only do I have experience on these issues but I also have a strong desire to impact in a beneficial way on all of these issues, because I want to be a voice for women who are struggling at the hands of abuse or any form of discrimination and I want to work towards empowering women politically, socially,