Julie

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,145953,00.html

New Fight for Racial Equality in Health Care

Thirty private and state medical groups announced an initiative Monday aimed at stemming widespread shortfalls in medical care received by racial minorities.

The groups say they will soon begin a nationwide educational campaign to increase cultural sensitivity in the nation’s doctors’ offices, hospitals, and medical schools. Studies show that ethnic minorities frequently receive lower-quality care than whites for the same medical problems.

“The fact is that care has been unequal. That’s wrong. It’s bad medicine, it’s expensive, it’s just not the way we should be doing things in the United States of America,” says John C. Nelson, president of the American Medical Association.

Studies have consistently found racial inequality in care for a wide range of medical disorders. For example, studies of medical records show that doctors -- the vast majority of whom are white -- are more likely to recommend surgical procedures for whites than they are for blacks with the same form of heart disease.

Black women are also less likely to receive Pap smears for cervical cancer or mammogram tests for breast cancer than are white women, even when their insurance status and ability to pay is the same.

Patrick Brazil

I think this has to do with the fact that more Whites can actually pay for medical procedures. Racism makes great headlines though.

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"Civil rights laws were not passed to protect the rights of white men and do not apply to them."

-Mary Frances Berry, Chairman, US Commission on Civil Rights.

Julie

What ever the reason, still makes health care factors an issue.

Rahul

I agree Patrick Brazil that when it comes to getting procedures done, whites are more able to pay than are minorities. What I don't agree with though is the article's reported (I'd like to see that study just out of curiosity as I know for a fact that in my area, a large number of doctors are part of minorities themselves) discrepancy in recommending of procedures. Whether a person can pay or not shouldn't determine what one recommends.

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Am out of town for a while and then have tons of work coming up at school. Will be back once that's all done.

Ray

Doesn't the medical insurance cover that?

Patrick Brazil

Not everyone in America has health insurance. Except illegal aliens of course!

Parihaka

the article clearly states so economics is not the issue.

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Patrick Brazil

I know, I saw that after re-reading it. I guess it's not money after all. Damn white doctors!

Veni Vidi Vici

I don't know enough about it to make an educated opinion but it sounds to me like another minority activist group crying wolf...

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Patrick Brazil

...and so goes Fox News. The 'conservative' channel.

Confed999

Why? It could very well be the case, statistics and polls are easiliy altered/misinterpreted. There should be further investigations to get to the bottom of this.

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I agree completely with this Administration’s goal of a regime change in Iraq-John Kerry
even if that enforcement is mostly at the hands of the United States, a right we retain even if the Security Council fails to act-John Kerry
He may even miscalculate and slide these weapons off to terrorist groups to invite them to be a surrogate to use them against the United States. It’s the miscalculation that poses the greatest threat-John Kerry

Julie

I agree.

ChrisF202

IMO minorities cannot afford the same level of medical care, HOWEVER, this does not mean they should be given it for a free or reduced price ... that would be racist vs people who can afford it. For example, in my county, the county executive came up with a proposal that minorities would get free transportation to and from medical facilities (no bus/taxi fees, etc) and reduced costs. That is racist to me (a white person), why should I not get free transportation (if I were to take a bus) or lower costs (which are pretty high as it is)?

Confed999

It is racist. The basis should be ability to pay, never color or sex.

Ray

IMO minorities cannot afford the same level of medical care

Chris,

I think the Indians were the second richest expat communty in the US as per a report (also posted in this forum).

They are a minority.

I am sure they can afford the same type of med benefits as any other European descent American.

I would not straight away jump and yell 'racist'. Before, stating it is racists, maybe one could dvelve and see if there could be some other reasons too.

I am sure the doctor gets paid for doing operations and other 'fancy' technical stuff that is not the 'run of the mill'. Therefore, I am sure he would bother about getting rich than worrying about colour and things like that.

It may sure be racism, but hanging even before being judged may not be fair.