The category selected and the reason for selection
Of the four categories, the item I have selected is health insurance coverage. This category is of great interest to me because it provides a platform for extensive analysis. The analysis of this class is straightforward. It gives a base for extensive research and provides the possibility to come up with conclusions that are very objective and accurate (Bacon, 2012).
Ranking of the state of Maryland
The state ranks 12th position out of the 53 states.
Comment on ranking
This ranking does not surprise me as even with the disparity between the highest racially covered and the lowest there is still a large portion of the population that has been covered (Housman & Odum, 2015).
Evidence of racial disparity
The conducted analysis displays that there is indeed evidence of disparity amongst the races. The evidence is in the form of average percentages of persons over the age of 18 but under the age of 64. The non-Hispanic whites lead with an average of 89.8% followed by the non-Hispanic black at 85.5% who have health insurance. We also have the Asian/Pacific Islanders who are third at 84.3%. A substantial margin separates the fourth group from the top three, and an even larger one separates the last group who are the American Indian/Alaska native at 62.2% and lastly the Hispanic group at 49.8% respectively (Gawande, 2014).
Reason for disparity
The non-Hispanic whites have the highest percentage of persons with insurance cover over all the other races. It is common for there to be a statistical advantage, but in comparison to the Hispanics and the native American Indians, the gap is simply too wide (Gawande, 2014). It raises the question of why the margins could not be as close as those of the non-Hispanic African Americans and the Asians. The greater margin is the primary indicator of the disparity; it shows that there is a need for extensive action into ensuring proper health coverage for all people.
Ranking of the state of Texas
Texas ranks at 53rd position out of all the states.
Comment on ranking
This ranking does not surprise me because of the deep-seated racial factors that hinder the appropriate sharing of the available resources in terms of health insurance efficiencies and adequacy (Janssen, 2014). It would not be balanced until the resolution of such issues will be found, especially those connected with immigration and national cohesion.
Evidence for disparity
There is overwhelming evidence of disparity based on the percentage of persons as there is a very wide gap between those who are covered by insurance and those who are not (Ward & Shelton, 2015). Here, the non-Hispanic white people lead again at 81.6%, followed by the Asian community at 76.2% and then the non-Hispanic black at 67.2%. At the bottom, we have the Native Americans at 49.6% and the Hispanics at 41.4% (Gawande, 2014).
Reason for disparity
The statistics provided and summarized above give a clear testimony to the disparities in the state of Texas. These margins are just too far apart. The population of the non-Hispanic white group is almost twice larger than the Hispanics. This shows that a huge effort needs to be placed to ensure equality amongst the entire nation.
Similarity and difference between the two states
The disparity is the same in the general sense as the non-Hispanic white community leads in both cases while the Hispanic community is the most disadvantaged. This contrast is however not reflected in the middle of the rankings as the non-Hispanic lack community statistics are different in both states. This can be attributed to the various types of challenges in the two different states.
Comparison
In the state of Texas, the disparity among the races increases drastically, and all of them are affected (Williams, 2012). Therefore, one can conclude that although things are not well in Maryland they are certainly worse in Texas.
Two states rankings
The two states rank at the 12th and 53rd positions respectively, and forty-one states separate them. This certainly highlights the differences between Maryland and Texas.
References
Bacon, E. (2012). Haemophilus Influenza Type B Morbidity, Mortality and Incidence in Maryland. Annapolis: Research Division.
Gawande, A. (2014). Being Mortal. London: Profile Books.
Housman, J., & Odum, M. (2015). Alters and Schiff Essential Concepts for Healthy Living. Burlington: Jones and Bartlett Publishers.
Janssen, S. (2014). The World Almanac and Book of Facts. London: Wiley Publishers.
Ward, S., & Shelton H. (2015). Maternal-Child Nursing Care With the Women’s Health Companion. Philadelphia: Davis Company.
Williams, E. (2012). Hood’s Texas Brigade in the Civil War. Jefferson: McFarland and Company Publishers.