Access to quality health care - Essay Example

Inequality in health status has plagued the minority population in the United States for more than fifty years. Despite rampant inequalities, there is no single root cause for the disparities. While class differences play a major role in the delivery of health care in the United States, race is also an important issue which needs to be properly explored. Seeking to address the particular health challenges facing African-Americans living in the most prosperous country on the planet, this essay will explore the particular health issues afflicting African-Americans and look at the approaches presently in place to solve the question of persistent health inequality in America today.

In the United States, health insurance coverage ensures that there is financial means by which basic health care can be accessed (Paulin and Dietz, 1995). Individual comprehensive health insurance plans depend on an individuals’ age, level of employment, residency, and race/ethnicity. Studies have shown that African-Americans do not receive the same care even if they have the same government funded insurance as their white counterparts, such as Medicare. For example, in a study conducted by the Brown and Harvard Medical Schools, researchers found that there were significant racial disparities within Medicare plans.

In addition, they found that the quality of care was a factor concerning race and ethnicity among Medicare beneficiaries. This suggests that in addition to access to care, quality of care is different among ethnic groups. To this extent, racial difference in coverage may influence health disparities and inequities within the healthcare system (Williams J., 2005). Medicare is a federal government funded insurance program for disabled young adults, persons above the age of 65, and those with permanent disabilities who become eligible for Social Security. A