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Philip Tran

3/26/2023

HED051

Minorities and Social Injustice

Minority populations facing significant social justice problems that impact their access to

healthcare and other determinants of health which has been a consistent issue for years. These

differences have a huge effect on the cause of diseases as well as hospitalization rates in the

United States. In order to address and resolve the issue, understanding the correlation between

factors that is causing it is extremely important.

First, one social justice problem faced by minority populations heavily affects the

healthcare they receive. Medicaid is an option for individuals and families with low income.

According to MACPAC.gov, minorities have lower Medicaid enrollment rates and receive lower

quality care than non-minorities. These differences are the cause of these preventable diseases

and chronic illnesses among the population of minorities. According to the Center for Medicare

Advocacy, social determinants of health, such as poverty, lack of affordable housing,

environmental hazards, and healthy food are huge obstacles for the minorities. All of those

contribute to the risk of developing diseases like high blood pressure, diabetes, and obesity,

which are extremely common in minorities. Healthy food is expensive in the states, and fast food

places are cheap and affordable. So due to minorities not being able to afford healthy food, fast

food is one of the only options for them.

Minority populations are more likely to experience preventable diseases such as asthma,

heart disease, and diabetes, which are linked to social justice problems. Minorities are more

likely to be hospitalized for illnesses like asthma, heart disease, and diabetes due to social justice
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issues like unfair access to healthcare and poor living conditions. The differences in healthcare

access and social factors can greatly impact the risk of getting sick. So overall, the need to talk

about these problems publicly to improve healthcare for minorities and make sure everyone has

equal access to good health.

The correlation between the identified problems and COVID-19 is in minority

communities, is that minorities have to risk their health by going out to provide for their family.

This would risk them contracting the virus which causes higher rates of hospitalization. Lack of

housing also is a huge contributor for the higher rates of hospitalization. Because they either

have to live in the streets with lots of hazards or stay in hostels where they have to sleep next to

lots of other people, in which some may be sick. So given the living conditions of minorities and

what they have to go through to survive. It is only inevitable that they would end up in the

hospital for COVID-19.

There are many ways of solving this problem. One way to improve is to allow for

Medicaid to be fair and affordable as well as upping the quality of care. The government and

other healthcare organizations should invest their money into outreach programs. Outreach

programs are programs designed to help people who are at a disadvantage in communities. This

would encourage minorities to enroll in Medicaid to receive the same care and benefits as

someone higher class. Things they can implement into their system are making the enrollment

process much easier, providing translators to break down language barriers, and offering

transportation like free bus rides to those who cannot afford transportation.

Another way is to increase affordability and accessibility to healthier foods. Fast food

chains are everywhere, offering extremely cheap and affordable prices for their meals. However,

with fast food comes consequences for health. So some good steps to take are having community
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gardens, and having farmer markets with affordable prices in their communities. By doing this, it

allows for the community to grow stronger and healthier. Everybody can contribute to it and

everybody could leave their poor food choices. Water quality is also important in better foods,

because many poor areas have contaminated water. Unclean water causes lots of illnesses so it is

better to provide safe and clean drinking water for these communities to ensure better health.

Better food choices means less of the need to go to the doctors because of health issues and to

not have to worry about what to eat the next day.

Finally, by being vocal about social determinants of health will be a powerful solution as

well. Poverty, affordable housing and environmental hazards are things minorities face in this

unjust society. When affordable housing is implemented in the system it will ensure the people

will have a safe place to live. Addressing the environmental hazards are important as well. There

are many hazards where minorities reside. Allowing them to have a safe place to stay will ensure

they avoid these types of hazards. This will be a step in the right direction for them to have better

healthcare.

In conclusion, social justice problems faced by minority populations in the United States

have a significant impact on their access to healthcare and other determinants of health, leading

to higher rates of preventable diseases and hospitalizations. The COVID-19 pandemic has further

highlighted these issues, as minority populations are affected due to their living conditions and

economic situations. To address these problems, it is important to understand the correlation

between these factors and healthcare outcomes, and take steps to improve access to care and

address social determinants of health. This can include investing in outreach programs,

increasing affordability and accessibility to healthy foods as well as addressing environmental

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hazards and affordable housing. By taking action we can work towards a more just and equal and

fair healthcare system for all.

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References

Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Medicaid: An Annotated Bibliography : MACPAC. (2022,

September 28). MACPAC. https://www.macpac.gov/publication/racial-and-ethnic-

disparities-in-medicaid-an-annotated-bibliography/

- This article provides information that explores the impact of race and ethnicity on

Medicaid coverage, access, and utilization. This will benefit my research paper by

providing evidence on how medicare is unfair to minorities.

National Academies Press (US). (2003). RACIAL AND ETHNIC DISPARITIES IN

DIAGNOSIS AND TREATMENT: A REVIEW OF THE EVIDENCE AND A

CONSIDERATION OF CAUSES. Unequal Treatment - NCBI Bookshelf.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK220337/

- This information here will provide me with information about healthcare inequalities,

such as race, ethnicity, and social determinants of health. By citing and incorporating the

information from this webpage into my research paper I can talk about the inequality of

health care.

Center for Medicare Advocacy. (2017, July 27). Racial and Ethnic Health Care

Disparities - Center for Medicare Advocacy. https://medicareadvocacy.org/medicare-

info/health-care-disparities/

- This article can provide me with valuable insights into healthcare. Because it shows the

disparities among low-income, minority, and underserved populations, especially those

who receive Medicare.