Income Inequality in Canada and Health - Essay Example

? Income Inequality in Canada and Health Income Inequality in Canada and Health Social and economic status of an individual often contributes to the type of services that the individual get in the society. An ancient scholar Raphael in his 2007 publication, Poverty and Policy in Canada: Implications for Health and Quality of Life, depicted that poverty has a great influence to the nature of services that a person would get in healthcare. Relationship between Health outcomes and socioeconomic status is a common item in epidemiological literature. Further still, in the publication, he indicated that there is clear evidence that high social and economic status, large, and small income divisions influence the provision and acquisition of quality healthcare in the society. Researcher handling issues of health and income distribution in the society have come to conclude that social economic status of an individual is a determining factor in acquisition of healthcare. Poverty information gives an insight of what takes place in the lower classes of the society, but income distribution is another factor that influences health care provision in the society. Evident from the economic growth as analyzed by Turner (2005), Canada is a country that enjoys a stable economy, which has led to better living standards of most of its subjects. The employment level of the country has contributed a lot in shaping the economic and social level of Canadians. The growth trends in Canada and the social issues in the society have attracted research in the disparity in the acquisition of health by the Canadian poor. Social policies provide guidelines for acquisition of health care service by the people of Canada, yet some people still grapple in poor health acquisition. Sociologist site several factors that are responsible for the current situation in Canada. Study shows that Canadian poor experience adverse health outcome compared to other persons of higher socio economic status (Shortt & Shaw, 2003). The intention of this paper is to establish why the Canadian poor experience adverse health outcome. The social practices enacted by the Canadian government seem to influence the above factor. Most policies of the country aim at improving the social conditions of the citizens. Social report about Canada indicates that it have developed the best social policies for its citizens. This report and the social report regarding the adverse health outcome for the Canadian poor need more research in order to unleash the truth. Raphael (2007) believes that income inequality contributes to the poverty level in Canada. Research indicates that between 1997 and 2000 most Canadians enjoyed high income because of employment opportunities in the country. This led to decline in poverty level in Canada in 1990s. On the contrary, poverty level in Canada is currently higher than it was in the past. This indicates that the country has a social gap, which it should close. The widening of the income gap in the society has contributed to the widening of the social services in the society. For example, a research conducted in Toronto indicated that the social gap in the region is quite large. Another research conducted by the Canadian government indicated that the segregation level in terms of economic status of an individual has increased in the recent past (Shortt, & Shaw, 2003). The evidence produced on income inequality in Canada indicates that the Canadian government has not been able to contain the growing level of economic disparity in the country. As sociologists, Macionis & Gerber (2010) argue that the government has initiative of developing policies, which would reduce the gaps in economic status. This is to mean that reduction of poverty level in Canada would influence health status of the country. From sociological perspective, it would be arguable that that the current trends in Canadian healthcare provision resulted from the economic gap that exist between the haves and the have not. Income level of an individual would determine the type of treatment that the individual would acquire. Provisions by the Canadian health policy provide a system where the government cater for the basic medical services. This provides a room for individuals to take for the bills of their treatment. This area is quite challenging to the poor in the society because they will not be able to meet the hefty bills posted in the hospitals. The basic coverage that medical policy plan covers are ambulance fee, doctor’s fee, tests fee, and other issues that may occur in the hospital. The employers pay the medical premium from the salary package of the employees. The province foots the bills of the disable in the society. This policy exposes the Canadian poor to poor health facilities because money factor would dictate the extra medical provisions that they may require (Goyal, 2005). It is clear that the people who belong to the high family or the first class families will have a greater say in determining the kind of service that they need. Some special treatments are quite expensive to meet and may require comprehensive policies that would include the needs of the poor. The cost of buying the drugs is quite changing to those in the lower economic ladder in the society. Largely, these people have to meet the needs of their communities. Since the social gap between the poor is quite large, the poor would prefer services that are according to their standards. It would be difficult for an individual in the lower ladder to take first class medical service. Evidently, poverty has an impact on human health in a number of ways. It causes stress, which is responsible to human health. Stress free life dictates the health conditions of an individual. Many stressed people are likely to face challenges of health. According to Mooney, & Knox & Schacht, (2010), inability to obtain essential things in life such as diets, standards and service and amenities among others contributes to poverty. Standard service in health is essential, yet conditions or regulations make it difficult for the common poor to receive the intended services. Report against the Canadian poor argues that this group is likely to face challenges of many diseases and has a greater percentage of succumbing to death because of injuries or illness at every stage in life. This statement holds some water because of the unfolding events in the society. Research on social status of Canadians indicates that people who are living in poverty are likely to suffer and die from most diseases than the rich in the society. The diseases include cancer, diabetes, heart disease, and respiratory complexities among others. Further evidence indicated that premature deaths witnessed in Canada results from the socio economic gaps (Macionis & Gerber, 2010). The income gap hit the headline of the research since it was evident that poor children suffered more than children did from other economically stable families. The research evidence indicated that health differences recorded were about the instances of illness, death, accidental injuries, well-being, and family violence among others. The report indicated that children from poor families indicated a higher percentage of suffering. Report about rate of illnesses in Canada indicates that many people who frequent hospitals come from poor families. Low economic status is to blame for the woes of the poor (Goyal, 2005). For example, in Ontario, research conducted on number of women that sought medical services indicated that women from poor families had the highest admission rates in the hospitals. Low income has contributed to higher use the health facilities. Although the Ontario people needed the health services, socioeconomic status has contributed to their needs (Turner, 2005). Similar result that indicates that socioeconomic status determined the rate at which individual sought medical services were got from Frontenac and Kingston studies. The study indicated that 64% of people that sought health attention came from Lennox and Aldington County. The study further indicated that other counties in Canada had not posted such a higher rate. Since the data provided the socioeconomic status of an individual, it is evident that SES was a determinant in health. Social system in Canada had not proved to contain the gap that widening due to inequality income inequality. Canadian studies document social problems related to poverty and income inequality. According to the report, health related impact such hopelessness and lack of food was associated to the Social economic status (Raphael, 2007). Arguably, social gaps influence health conditions of many people in the society. Arguments against lifestyle state that low-income individuals engage in social habits that expose them to disease. These habits include excessive smoking, poor nutritional habits, and excessive drinking. Health concerns raised by nutritionist indicate that poor eating habits are a recipe of diseases. Lifestyle factors do not support the topic of research, but has weight in influences factors that contribute to illness in the society. Lifestyle factors do not focus on the societal conductions that widen the gap between the have and the have not. It is important to note that individual lifestyle is a personal choice. Controversy exists on two schools of thought that present different views concerning SES and health in Canadian community. First school of thought argues that social cohesion and psychosocial issues owe an explanation to health inequality while the second school presents socioeconomic gaps in the society ha san influence in human health. Social structures in Canada form the basis of the second argument. Health insurance premium in Canada vary with the individual income. The premium subscribed by the employers depends on the total income of an individual. Individual who earn much money have to subscribe much money to the insurance schemes. This is another revelation that SES has adverse influence health outcomes. The analysis of the argument that the poor experience adverse health out compared to other persons of higher social economic status indicates that social gaps in the Canadian society determines how frequent an individual would seek healthcare. In conclusion, the research indicates that socioeconomic status of an individual the frequency of attending healthcare facilities. Many health cases reported belonged to individuals who had little income. The government has not been able to contain the social gap in the Canadian society. Report from healthcare givers indicates that most people who seek treatment come from poor families. According to Mooney, Knox, & Schacht (2010), the social gap influences the nature of life that an individual would have in the society. This would in turn influence the health status of an individual. References Goyal, P. O. (2005). Anti-social patterns of begging and beggars. Delhi: Gyan Publishing House. Macionis, J. J. & Gerber, M. L. (2010). Sociology. Boston: Pearson Education. Mooney, A. L., Knox, D. & Schacht, C. (2010). Understanding Social Problems. Mason, OH: Cengage Learning. Raphael, D. (2007). Poverty and Policy in Canada: Implications for Health and Quality of Life. Toronto: Canadian Scholars' Press. Shortt, E.D.S. & Shaw, A. S. (2003). Equity in Canadian health care: Does socioeconomic status affect waiting times for elective surgery? Retrieved on 16/11/2011 from http://www.cmaj.ca/content/168/4/413.full.pdf Turner, J. F. (2005). Encyclopedia of Canadian social work. Waterloo: Wilfrid Laurier Univ. Press Read More