Social Justice in the Healthcare System
Almost everyone experiences some type of medical problem at some point, but what happens when they can’t get medical care to take care of themself? Due to factors in their lives, not everyone has access to healthcare. Different circumstances should not restrict someone’s access to medical treatment. Factors that impact access to healthcare include education, employment, and race. Discrimination influences what type of care someone can get, along with the quality of it. Due to this, there are many people out there who have to suffer each and every day because of what they do, their race, and how their background affects their lives. People with low paying jobs may have less access to health care, no matter how hard-working they are. Healthcare should not be based on social and economic factors. Many people in healthcare actively fight against this injustice, like nurses, who are trained to advocate for their patients’ rights and to provide the best possible care to everyone, regardless of their background or status. Still, the system is deeply flawed and outcomes can differ for different demographics of people because of the injustices that they face.
The coronavirus pandemic took a toll on many peoples’ lives and placed a strain on the healthcare system. Due to the issues with inequality in the healthcare system, certain groups had a higher risk of getting Covid-19, and even dying from it. This worsened the pre-existing inequality in health care and impacted the lives of many people.
On May 4, 2017, the American Health Care Act, also known as Trumpcare was released. This act replaced the Affordable Care Act, which is known as Obamacare. The Affordable Care Act (ACA) had previously expanded health coverage for over 20 million Americans and saved thousands of lives. The ACA prevented discrimination for people with pre-existing conditions, prevented women from being charged more for insurance, created wider acess to prescription drugs, lowered the cost of healthcare for seniors, and much more. On May 4, 2017, when Obamacare was repealed and Trumpcare was put in place, thousands of lives were changed, and most weren't changed for the better. This meant that 20 million people lost coverage for healthcare, discrimination against people with pre-existing conditions worsened, and $135 Billion dollars was taken from the funding for Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP).
Change is slowly being made to fix the injustices in the healthcare system based on someone's skin color, job, education, and personal background. With different initiatives, new political leaders, and innovative ideas being brought forward, the healthcare system is something that is being re-examined. A great amount of discrimination is seen in the healthcare system that needs to be taken care of. The best medical care should be provided to everyone, no matter their race, employment, social status and education.
