The US Institute of Medicine requires the US health care system to provide equitable health care to all people regardless of their gender, race, ethnicity, and socio-economic status. However, this issue has not been adequately addressed since it was raised by the Institute of Medicine in 2001. In a recent article that appeared in the Journal of the American Medical Association, it was found that out of 334,302 people who were exposed to 151 Medicare plans, only one plan covered both the white and black people evenly. Even when medical experts determine issues such as blood sugar levels, blood pressure, and cholesterol levels, they still practice racism.
Though studies reveal that the overall provision of quality health care services is improving, the discrepancies that are observed occur because many black people are not capable of acquiring expensive medical services. Many black people are, therefore, said to rely on exercise and proper nutrition to enable them to live healthy lives (Kage, 2006).
In order to address the issue of inequality adequately, the government is advised to make payments to Medicare Plans so as to meet the needs of its members. Some experts argue that the money should be used to support programs that enable people to meet with nutritionists so that they can be able to control their blood sugar levels, blood pressure, and cholesterol levels. Though such programs are often regarded as expensive, they are cheaper than paying for programs that people do not bother to use.
In a different study which appeared in the journal Ethnicity and Disease, it was noted that out of the people who complained that their health was poor, many of the people came from black residents. The journal focused on the whites, blacks, Asians, and Hispanics who lived in New York City. It has also been noted that in poorer areas, there are often few shops which sell fresh vegetables and fruits. Therefore, it is true that the social system is to blame for the poor health of black people in the US (Kage, 2006).
References
Kage, B. (2006).Two new studies show blacks continue to receive inferior health care compared to whites. Web.