The most memorable thing about a hospital is the smell. The sterile scent of rubber gloves and antibacterial cleaner was an all too familiar part of my childhood as I spent years swinging my feet nervously in waiting room chairs, waiting to be admitted into Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta time and time again. As my life became a series of being poked and prodded with needles for blood tests and IVs, having lead bibs placed on my chest for X-rays, and hearing the dreaded “How are you feeling today?”, the familiar aroma became a stench. Spending days in a hospital bed instead of in the classroom with my friends at school became taxing on my body and mind, and watching the toll it took on my mother who sat in the chair beside me was even more …show more content…
As the contents of the course dealt with the direct correlation between health and factors such as race, gender, and socioeconomic status, I realized that while health effects everyone, healthcare is discriminatory. The main required reading, “Poverty in America” by John Iceland, put this idea at the forefront, sharing the accounts of families who fell victim to cyclical and structural poverty and struggled day to day due to financial situations brought about by lost jobs, defaulted mortgages, and what resonated with me the most, medical debt. As I found myself empathizing with these stores, it became apparent that I was not just reading about the multitudes of impoverished families in the United States, but the story of my own family as well. From here, I found where my educational interest in health met my passion in caring for others, and I became committed to learning how to better the way in which minority groups and low-income families gain access to affordable, quality …show more content…
In what was probably the most eye-opening volunteer positions I served, I found that for the first time, there were many instances in which I could not help people. During appointments, there were times when I had to relay the information that a consumer could not get health coverage, whether it was because they fell in the coverage gap that prevented them from receiving subsidies, the coverage offered by their employer was considered “affordable” by the statutes but not by their personal budgets, or some other unfortunate, yet all too common, circumstance. Despite this, it was one of my most valuable learning experiences. During training, I had the opportunity to learn who was eligible for subsidies and how they are established, the guidelines of the SHOP Marketplace, what essential health benefits are, and a number of other things about health insurance. The desire to build upon the knowledge gained in this position drives me daily to continue learning about health policy and management to acquire the tools that needed to assess and correct this “system” that has still left 29 million people uninsured, and even more
“black experience” by appropriating the pain of hundreds of years of vicious anti-black sentiment in the United States. While she can partake in à la carte blackness, and she surely does to some degree, her desire to be victimized for being black signifies that Dolezal craves the complexities and pains of blackness – she does not want to cast them aside. In fact, it is in Dolezal’s best interests to adopt all aspects of blackness, beyond only appearance. Victimization is only one facet; she also attended a historically black university, essentially passing herself off as a black woman to the college in her portfolio and application, worked as a professor of Africana Studies at Eastern Washington University, and, as previously mentioned, was head of the NAACP chapter of Spokane.
Several individuals from different ethnicities, races, and citizenships, compose a society. The United Sates allow us to have a close interaction with numerous individuals from diverse backgrounds. In my own case I have been able to interact with many incredible individuals from all over the world who come from extremely different backgrounds. I am a proud Mexican who cherishes respect towards diversity. Coming from a very suffered country I am able to understand not only what does it means to feel proud to be a Latino, but also I can feel acquainted with the pain and struggle that our community has to face every day.
A Generous America The America I believe in has been erased by mankind's selfishness. It’s a nation where we can be proud to sing home of the brave. I want to be proud, but it is hard when I turn on the news and see all these people who are in poverty. We turn our cheek because it is not us in trouble, but I cannot help but wonder: Why are we so disgusted by taxes when we have the money to pay them? Why do we turn people away at the door because we are scared of what they might be?
Health disparities have been an issue all over the world. In the United States, individual and community activism have been seen in an attempt to address the health inequalities of the underrepresented groups tracing back to 1781 (Mitchell, 2015). With the passing of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), the hope for social equality and justice through insurance for all remains complex. The legislation will certainly provide better health outcomes, but health advocacy remains an important aspect in changing the landscape of our health system. A study indicated that the overall rate of insurance coverage increased and a decreased in “coverage disparities related to race and ethnicity” was noted a few years after the ACA was passed (Buchmueller,
Millions of Americans are constantly reminded of the horrible effects of the Affordable Care Act anytime medical care is required. I have witnessed many families and individuals struggle to cover the extra financial responsibility imposed upon them: Susan Gardiner, a fellow Kroger employee, states her health insurance costs have significantly increased following the approval of the Affordable Care Act; consequently, Ms. Gardiner routinely experiences financial hardships as she requires frequent medical care. Americans simply cannot cope with the Affordable Care Act’s inherent attribute of exorbitant insurance premiums and deductibles. In an attempt to decrease medical costs for an impoverished minority of Americans, the Affordable Care Act,
This health fair shows the limited contact many of the participants have with the health care system, because majority lack health insurance, and find medical costs unaffordable. Despite the expansion to healthcare through the Affordable Care Act, participants in this study were mostly uninsured, drastically reducing their access to quality health care. Similar to other immigrant groups, barriers that may be responsible for the high rates of uninsured African immigrants include language barriers and health literacy. Some of the participants speak English as a second language; this does not only affect their ability to communicate but also affects their ability to comprehend health or insurance information.(31) Another potential obstacle is that the data on the number of the currently uninsured African immigrants who know about their coverage options is lacking, as earlier mentioned this group is likely categorized as Black or African American.
Expanding accessibility to affordable healthcare insurance is one way in which our country can begin to increase healthcare that is patient and family centered. One reason for existing disparities are the expenses associated with seeking healthcare. For some people, while the actual monthly payments of their health insurance is affordable, patients still face high deductibles or high out of pocket maximums. By making health insurance attainable for the majority of Americans, this alone is only the first step toward reducing some of the existing health disparities. Money alone is a factor that can deter people from seeking preventive treatment and screenings.
Individual minorities do not always have the opportunity to see a primary provider because the cost is too significant or rural areas don’t have the means to provide substantial health care locations. In a study conducted by Hayes, Riley, Radley, and McCarthy (2015), Black and Hispanic working adults reported a time in the past year when they could not see a health care provider (HCP) because of cost. The cost of seeking a HCP can be significantly higher for uninsured
Disparities are all around us and can account for inequality that is seen among different race, in education, business, politics and even healthcare. Inequality can affect all aspects of a person’s life. In the United States it is unfortunate that every citizen is not privy to the same quality of healthcare. This is one of the major challenges and growing issues for the United States healthcare system. The gap in care is derived from racial, ethnic, gender differences in populations.
Many Americans were led to believe that the introduction of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act in 2009 would put an end to disparities in health care access. While it did improve the situation for a small percentage of the population there are still many Americans who lack access to good quality health care. Health care access in America is determined by money and those in lower socioeconomic groups frequently tend to miss out on adequate care. In a recent health care report by the national health research foundation Kaiser Family Foundation, it was noted “health care disparities remain a persistent problem in the United States, leading to certain groups being at higher risk of being uninsured, having limited access to care, and experiencing poorer quality of care” (Kaiser Family Foundation). The current health care
Started from the bottom is not only a well known line in a song it visualizes where I came from. From having the bare minimum to growing up in middle class. I will never forget the times I was less fortunate. I plan to become a success and I know it will be true.
I mostly grew up in poverty. We were the people that were thought as “smooching off the government.” My dad is retired and we both live off of social security. Throughout my entire schooling till the end of high school, I always received the free/reduced lunch program. We went to a lot of garage and yard sales growing up.
Certainly, growing up in poverty is a strength I hold dear to my heart. Surely, it was a struggle my parents, myself, and my brothers, however, my challenging past influenced me to be a hard worker, show up to work 15 minutes early, and perform my duties so I can have a job. Lastly, growing up in this financial condition has taught me how to value life instead of personal belongings.
Essay on Poverty Poverty does not exist due to a lack of charity; poverty exists because people of wealth do not view poor people as equally deserving of money. The American founding fathers penned the words, “All men are created equal, and endowed by their creator with certain unalienable rights. Among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.”
Poverty Empowered Me to be Successful Poverty empowered me to want more in my life. The struggles of my childhood gave me the determination to succeed. When I was just three years old, my parents split up, leaving my mother to take care of my older sister and me on her own. To put a roof over our heads and food in our bellies, my mother had to work two jobs and have an abusive boyfriend because he said he would take care of us. My mother became addicted to drugs and after three years she made the change in her life to get off of drugs and be a better mother.