A new study documents dramatic disparities in health outcomes for different ethnic and racial groups. But is pouring more money into the health care system the answer?
Overall, I agree with your conclusion, but it feels like ceding the field to the racists. Of course, concentrating on a class based solution doesn’t prohibit us from looking at specific race-based programs as well – which are necessary:
“Notably, the pregnancy-related mortality rate for Black women who completed college education or higher is 5.2 times higher than the rate for White women with the same educational attainment and 1.6 times higher than the rate for White women with less than a high school diploma.“
Finland addresses some health issues at school - vaccines, dental, vitamins, food (school breakfast and lunch), mental health (send appropriate workers to home where indicated by student behavior). “Students can’t study or learn if they are sick, hungry, or disturbed.”
One program in Kentucky sends kids home on Friday with a backpack of meals for the weekend.
“Poverty in America” by Matthew Desmond - stores in low-income city neighborhoods - as you say, but also more expensive than what white people pay - if I recall correctly
They always corrected Covid rates by race for age, but I wonder why they don't for median income, or correct family income for number of workers per family.
The average age of whites in the US is 42; 30 for Hispanics (google search) looking at a population pyramid of whites - its because of the boomers.
Totally agree Merrill. We should not be giving more resources to the health care system to solve unequal health outcomes. We should expand the child tax credit instead. It’s crazy to me that we would give money to health plans that take 15% off the top for profit & admin and then they send small grants down to community organizations than run food banks. Give the $ directly to food banks. They are starving while health care orgs flourish.
Overall, I agree with your conclusion, but it feels like ceding the field to the racists. Of course, concentrating on a class based solution doesn’t prohibit us from looking at specific race-based programs as well – which are necessary:
“Notably, the pregnancy-related mortality rate for Black women who completed college education or higher is 5.2 times higher than the rate for White women with the same educational attainment and 1.6 times higher than the rate for White women with less than a high school diploma.“
https://www.kff.org/racial-equity-and-health-policy/issue-brief/racial-disparities-in-maternal-and-infant-health-current-status-and-efforts-to-address-them/#:~:text=Notably%2C%20the%20pregnancy%2Drelated%20mortality,than%20a%20high%20school%20diploma.
Here in Cuyahoga (Cleveland, OH) county there are programs targeted at improving pregnancy outcomes among black women.
https://www.news5cleveland.com/news/local-news/cleveland-hosts-its-first-black-maternal-health-equity-summit
djb
Finland addresses some health issues at school - vaccines, dental, vitamins, food (school breakfast and lunch), mental health (send appropriate workers to home where indicated by student behavior). “Students can’t study or learn if they are sick, hungry, or disturbed.”
One program in Kentucky sends kids home on Friday with a backpack of meals for the weekend.
“Poverty in America” by Matthew Desmond - stores in low-income city neighborhoods - as you say, but also more expensive than what white people pay - if I recall correctly
They always corrected Covid rates by race for age, but I wonder why they don't for median income, or correct family income for number of workers per family.
The average age of whites in the US is 42; 30 for Hispanics (google search) looking at a population pyramid of whites - its because of the boomers.
Totally agree Merrill. We should not be giving more resources to the health care system to solve unequal health outcomes. We should expand the child tax credit instead. It’s crazy to me that we would give money to health plans that take 15% off the top for profit & admin and then they send small grants down to community organizations than run food banks. Give the $ directly to food banks. They are starving while health care orgs flourish.