Study says unequal care fatal for blacks

Boston Globe ^ | Dec 22, 2004 | January W. Payne

[Tumbleweed_Connection]

More than 886,000 deaths could have been prevented from 1991 to 2000 if African-Americans had received the same level of health care as whites, according to an analysis in the December issue of the American Journal of Public Health. The study estimates that technological improvements in medicine -- including better drugs, devices, and procedures -- averted only 176,633 deaths during the same period.

That means "five times as many lives can be saved by correcting the disparities [in care between whites and blacks] than in developing new treatments," Dr. Steven H. Woolf, lead author and director of research at Virginia Commonwealth University's Department of Family Medicine, said in a telephone interview...

Reduced access to health care doesn't account for all the racial disparity in preventable deaths. Blacks have greater incidence of some diseases; some of this greater morbidity results from education, income level, and environment as well as access to health care. The challenge, the authors said, is to deliver the same quality health care to everyone, despite these factors.

[KJacob]

And how many blacks would be saved if abortion were illegal?

[7.62 x 51mm]

Oh man, here we go again...

[CBart95]

Well! There's the windup.
Now.
What's the PITCH?
(As if we can't guess.)

[lnbchip]

IM(Very)HO - A far larger percentage of African Americans depend upon the Medicaid system in the US. As layer upon layer of bureaucracy is added to the delivery of healthcare, we see it becoming less and less effective. Another reason to go kicking and screaming away from universal health coverage by the US government. This proves any system they would run would never provide the same level of care that most people get today using private insurance.

[DTogo]

OK all you heterosexual, white, Christian, American males, time start start flogging yourselves for being so...

[peacebaby]

I smell Victims!

[Psycho_Bunny]

I've discovered I can end every argument I have over government healthcare with one question: "Have you ever been to the DMV?"

[NRA1995]

"Another reason to go kicking and screaming away from universal health coverage by the US government."

Ask a military dependent about govt-run health care

[trebb]

Agreed - more proof that it is socialized medicine that is the real culprit...

[RebelBanker]

Government healthcare - All the compassion of the IRS, all the efficiency of the DMV.

[Unicorn]

More bullshit!!!!!!!!!!!

[tacticalogic]

It's a Clinton thing.

[freespirited]

Would the writer care to explain one inconvenient fact? If blacks have such terrible access to health care, how is it that black women have such easy access to abortion--a procedure they often have to pay for themselves?

The truth is that it's not about access to healthcare. It's about use of the healthcare available to all of us.

[L98Fiero]

More than 886,000 deaths could have been prevented from 1991 to 2000 if African-Americans had received the same level of health care as whites, according to an analysis in the December issue of the American Journal of Public Health

What exactly is a "level of health care"?

Reduced access to health care doesn't account for all the racial disparity in preventable deaths. Blacks have greater incidence of some diseases; some of this greater morbidity results from education, income level, and environment as well as access to health care.

Everyone has access to healh care. They just don't have access to truly free health care. Socialized medicine will remove any disparity. Everyone will have equally crappy health care.

[Bon mots]

I remember a black friend in college who was very sick. He would go to black doctors who were butchers. They probably got through college on some kind of special program or something, but I wouldn't have trusted them after seeing what they did to him.

Could this be the elephant in the corner?

[tfecw]

i didn't find too many problems with it (military medical system) growing up. the idea that i could just stroll in there and get vaccinated for something was pretty neat....before i left college i even got vaccinated for the bubonic plague...hey you never know ;)

but all in all assuming your not overseas or something the facilities aren't bad. Granted your not getting St Jude's quality care, but it'd say its on par to above average than a HMO. I'd say it might even nose out HMO's cause you can get an appointment at a reasonable time in the day ;)

[freekitty]

This is bs.

[lnbchip]

"..some of this greater morbidity results from education, income level, and environment.."

All these are factors that limit a person's ability to avoid socialized medicine in this country. Without a sufficient level of education, the income levels and employment necessary to afford private health insurance cannot be attained.

The intent of this article is clear "Healthcare in America is Racist" However, it is the liberal social programs that have kept the African American community from realizing their full potential. The effect has been absolute segregation. Now a large percentage of African Americans have been neatly hoarded into the poor inner cities. They are, therefore, all kept neatly together in a bundle of underachieving schools where they will receive the education necessary to stay in the inner cities and never improve their situation in life. They will be a perfect liberal voting block. They are completely dependent.

How do we expect people in these conditions to do what is necessary to maintain proper healthcare. The government has taken away their hope. Then they blame the rest of us for the lack of healthcare for the poor minorities.

Liberals have enslaved the minorities in this country.

[American Vet Repairman]

"886,000 deaths could have been prevented from 1991 to 2000 if African-Americans had received the same level of health care as whites, according to an analysis in the December issue of the American Journal of Public Health"

To say this is a pseudo scientific statement is an insult to "pseudos" across the globe. It does not even rate as pseudo. I am trying not to cuss but this is bovine scatology emanating from one infected with mad cow's disease. In fact this is full of sooooo much crap that it has actually created a small hole in the ozone layer from the gas emissions. I can only thank the Creator of the universe that it is winter and our children do not have to suffer from the horrible effects of this pile of crap.