Anyone who believes race is an irrelevant factor when it comes to America’s healthcare system has not looked at the cold grave facts.
Minorities in the U.S. die at higher rates from nearly every known disease in comparison to Whites, and suffer disproportionately from otherwise treatable illnesses because of inadequate or non-existent access to healthcare.
The race issue as political rhetoric spewed in the media by politicians and pundits alike, who claim that minorities have it no worse when it comes to healthcare has worked.
The message continually spun that color has no germane place in the dialog of healthcare is a distraction from the fact that institutional racism still exists, and has thus far led to no tangible strongholds to ensure that healthcare in this country becomes colorblind.
Just ask any person of color who has lost a loved one because they were too poor to see a doctor, and forced to wait until their prognosis was fatal.
Historically, many minorities in the U.S. have had the experience of receiving reactive rather than proactive care, at clinics, urgent care centers, and emergency rooms, which costs the country more money with less care for all of us all in the end.
With the ever-failing economy, the majority of those who are uninsured are non-Whites. According to a recent study by The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, “Unemployment rates are higher in certain communities of color, in comparison to whites, and people of color had lower rates of health coverage and more difficulty accessing the healthcare system.”
Across all racial lines, Black males are suffering the most due to poor or non-existent access to healthcare. According to recent data kept by the Centers of Disease Control and the Office of Minority Health, although black males only make up only 13.5 percent of the American population, they are more than twice as likely to die from prostate cancer when compared to White males.
They are also 30 percent more likely to die from heart disease, twice as likely to be diagnosed with diabetes, and 2.2 times more likely to die from the disease.
Black males are also 60 percent more likely to die from a stroke than White males, and according to the CDC, “African-American stroke survivors are more likely to become disabled and have difficulty with activities of daily living than non-Hispanic whites.”
The data is just as grim for African-American women when compared to white woman. Black women have a 34 percent higher chance of dying from breast cancer; twice as likely to die from stomach cancer, and a 22 times higher chance of a diagnoses of AIDS with a 20 percent higher rate of death.
“Whites live an average of 5-7 times longer than blacks,” says Thomas A. LaVeist, Ph.D., author of ‘Minority Populations and Health: An Introduction to Health Disparities in the United States.’ “African-Americans are also more likely than whites to be victims of homicide and HIV/AIDS. Infant mortality is double for Blacks. It’s been that way since statistics were kept.”
In 2007, Blacks accounted for 49 percent of HIV/AIDS cases and had more than seven times the AIDS rate of non-white Hispanic males.
“There is a powerful link between poverty, low socioeconomic status, and HIV,” says Dr. Kevin Fenton, director of CDC’s National Center for HIV/AIDS, Viral Hepatitis, STD, and TB Prevention. “In communities with a generalized epidemic, we need to reach everyone in the community with prevention information and interventions.”
According to The World Health Organization, although the United States spends more on healthcare than any industrialized country, it ranks last in the quality of health among 191 member nations.
While rating a country’s overall quality of healthcare is critical, one of its most significant indicators of a population’s health is the infant mortality rate, and numbers are particularly grave for minority infants in the U.S. For example, black infants suffer the grim statistics of poor healthcare, with the death rate that is 2.3 times higher than white infants.
African-American babies are also four times likely to die from low birth weight, and have 1.8 times the sudden infant death syndrome mortality as whites. Black mothers are 2.5 times likely as non-Hispanic white mothers to begin prenatal care in the third trimester, or receive no prenatal care at all.
Clearly, the inability to afford healthcare by minorities as well as by poor and even middle class white Americans has only gone from bad to worse with an economy that has seen job and home losses soar to heights no one saw coming.
According to a report from The Kaiser Family Foundation ‘The Effects of the Economic Recession on Communities of Color’ published July 2009, “Minority individuals are disproportionately affected by many of the consequences of the economic recession such as high unemployment rates, increased concern about paying for healthcare coverage, housing, and food.”
The study also states that a “higher percentage of minority individuals report having issues obtaining a good-paying job and losing work hours, as a result of the economic downturn.”
While some 46 million Americans have no health insurance, one assurance that cannot be denied is that these heinous statistics show how this affects a disproportionate number of uninsured African-Americans, proving that economic, institutional, and social barriers still exist some 55 years after the Civil Rights Movement reared its first monumental strides in 1955.
The late great Martin Luther King said, “The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.”
Let us heed King’s eloquent and timeless words, and do more than just apathetically hope that things will change. We need to demand and fight for reform on the forefront of one of America’s most epochal battlegrounds; that all people should have the basic right to live healthy and experience wholeheartedly the country’s most robust principal, that “life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness” is a pursuit we can all realize, regardless of one’s skin color.
What do you think?
Comments
Race a factor in America's healthcare system
This is an interesting article with also a painful and complicated dilemma. While there is no disputing the statistical inequality in disease/mortality rates between whites and blacks, I feel that the greater issue is the healthcare availability and quality (Medicare/Medicaid) that greatly affects impoverished Americans, in particular, minorities and the elderly. I do not consider myself an expert but I do believe President Obama’s new healthcare plan is the single most proactive reform to support this injustice, however, I learned that this past Monday the bill was ruled unconstitutional in US District Court. The United States healthcare system is firmly rooted into the capitalistic ideals of our country, which basically leverages supply and demand to turn a profit. Medical doctors and practitioners take an oath of hypocrisy, I must assume their presidents and executive officers do not… preferring profit over improving lives sounds hypocritical.
It is widely reported that the US spends more money on healthcare than any other industrialized country in the world. I beg the question: Why? Where is the excessive spending? Labor, Equipment, Facilities, Bureaucracy? These inefficiencies are handed down to the consumers that many cannot afford and precipitates the poverty cycle in our country. Certainly, there must be some kind of federal intervention to check the system. There is no wealth without health.
The Cold Harsh Reality
In reading this article, my heart breaks for the many people in this country who sit, hopelessly, and impatiently waiting for it to be their turn for justice. In a perfect world, we would all get the attention we need to survive and thrive in this world. The harsh reality of our country is that a gap that formed somewhere along the way that has just grown larger between the wealthy and the poor. The wealthy don't want to let go of what is theirs to give to the poor who have no means of paying for even the simplest of healthcare, and in that, hostility forms. This hostility makes it even more difficult for people to get down to the basic nature of giving, for the sake of giving.
The Balance
I fully believe that every single person is entitled to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. I think that every person has the right to a heathly, active, and fufilling life. But I do not believe that the governement should have the authority to take money from the wealthy and give it to the poor for health care needs that could have been avoided. I do not mean to sound harsh or insensitive toward people of minoirty who are suffering. But there should be a balance between recieving help from others, and helping yourself. Maintinaing an unhelathy lifestyle and expecting others to pick up the slack and literally pay for the consequences is unrealistic. On the other hand, someone who has been a committed, hardowrking memeber of society and has fallen ill should by all means be given assistance in getting well again. The hard part about the balance between helping yourself and being given help is that there would have to be some sort of system that screened the particular circumstances. At this point, people would be essentially playing God and I dont see that going over well. It is a difficult dilemma without a doubt, but in order to recieve help, i believe you should be dedicted to helping yourself, as well.
Race Affects Healthcare Experience
I definitely think race is a major factor in the healthcare system. I have personally read Dr. LaVeist's book and took a class over it, so I am aware of the statistics of healthcare and health outcomes for minorites. Its sad to see that the color of your skin affects your life so much, even in todays world. African Americans life expectancy is lower than whites, except when they reach old age their is a crossover because those Blacks have taken extremely good care of their body. Imagine if all Blacks had equal access to healthcare-maybe their life expectancy would be higher or at least equal to Whites. With that being said, I do not think its the wealthier people's responsibility to pay for the minorities health care. Minorities do face discrimination in finding employment which ultimately affects their ability to have insurance which is a must for healthcare. But i do not support the national health care system. I guess there is no easy solution to the problem that affects so many peoples lives everyday.
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An Imperfect World
I believe that every person, regardless of their gender, race, or social class deserves equal opportunities and care. It’s horrible how people who are in need and live in one of the richest countries in the world are unable to get the help that they need. We and our government need to look out for others and use the blessings that we have been given to help them. However, there needs to be a balance between helping people out who legitimately need support and giving so freely that people learn to not work on their own. If our government takes too much of what the rich have worked for and gives it to the poor, then there will be no incentive for either class to work. We live in an imperfect world and not all people are going to want to sacrifice everything they have for others and it’s not our governments place to force them to.
What I see in the world
On a day-to-day basis I see many people of all races. It pains me to see the quality of life people live soley because of being raised in poverty. Some dream big enough to have the hope of escaping poverty. Some actually do make changes in their lives that drasticly affect their lives for the better. Still, others continue to think that they will never have what it takes. I see people who work hard and pay cash for their healthcare and are looked down on because they do not have health insurance. They seem to pay a much higher price for medical assistance. I feel it should be fair across the board for all medical services and healthcare coverage. It is truly a hard decision of those who can make this happen and just how to do it.
Problems without solutions
I feel that the real problem here is not race, but the health care for those in poverty in general. While minorities make up a larger portion of the poverty pie then what is statistically equal or proportionate to the population, the lack of health care for those living in poverty will still be an issue. This is a complicated matter, because as we the people try to extend medical rights to those who can not afford it we also, take rights away from those in the upper class. Paying higher taxes or raising the cost of health care in general to cover those who could not afford any, puts a burden on the upper class and challenges our capitalist economy ideals. Reaching even further, should it be a hospitals duty to supply meals to the extreme poor to maintain health or the governments duty. The fact is that America is no different from any other country in that people die of starvation and poverty all the time. In my opinion the world will always be this way, until people find a different motivation other than materialistic motivations, within the context of having a capitalist economy.
health care
Health care is a necessity of life and I see that minorities sometimes feel cheated. However, I do not think that rising taxes for the upper class or even middle class for that matter is the answer. Our economy is built on capitalism and everyone making a way for them. It’s not fair that some people get taxed more than others simply because of their income. I feel for the people in charge of issues like this because it’s difficult to know who truly deserves what they get. Some people really work hard and do an honest job and pay for their insurance. Other people simply slid by and get what they can without lifting a finger. Finding the balance of giving people equal treatment in health care is tricky and deserves careful attention. Ultimately I just think that imposing unfair taxes or depriving certain people of medical services because of race is wrong. This issue seems to never go away and people always feel cheated, I hope for the day that this issue is no longer affecting America.
Missing factors
The article mentions there's a link between low socioeconomic status, poverty, and HIV/AIDS. This is probably the only fact I know to be true. This article is missing the big picture. The issue is not one of racial inequality. The issue is healthcare. From my experience, hospitals (which are an institution) can NOT turn down medical treatment to anyone, regardless of color and gender. Let me clarify this point. I'm not talking about private hospitals, but rather state or county funded hospitals. I also don't believe that race has anything to do with a doctor giving a patient a late diagnosis or fatal prognosis. Money or lack thereof, might be considered an underlying factor, but certainly not skin color. There is also mention of death rates among African-American babies. Could the underlying factor here be education or lack of education on parenting? Shouldn't we also be considering environment as a factor? Living conditions? And if so, then that would all point back to low socioeconomic status. I believe that everyone should be entitled to equal healthcare. A person's health should not depend on how much money he/she has. But, if we are to change the healthcare issue, we need to look at the other missing factors that are not mentioned in this article. We need to address education, money (job opportunities/benefits), and living conditions. These are all linked together to determine if a sick person will get better or get a punctual diagnosis. Sickness and death are both color-blind.
Health Care
I agree that everyone should be treated equal when it comes down to dealing with their health issues. Minorities shouldn’t be treated less than whites when they go to a doctor or emergency room, everyone should have the same type of care no matter what their race is. It’s sad to see that some can’t go get after care treatment due to not being insured, so is the answer to that just let the individual die? As the article stated that many minorities have had to let their loved ones past away due to no insurance and no way to pay for care. It’s odd to see all the studies that compare minorities and whites, and how they differ to each other when it came down to diseases. Every study showed that minorities would die at a faster rate than the average white individual; I think this is different in a way. Is it due their race or is it that minorities has limited access to health care? Whatever the case may be that shouldn’t be the reason for minorities to suffer, the government has had some health care plans at this point, but in reality is it being put into effect.
Reality is never sugar coated
To be completely honest i am glad this article came up because a light is being shown on a ever growing societal problem that has yet to be fixed. The whole time while reading this article a simple statement kept repeating itself over and over "If you do not have the means,dont expect to be treated..come back when you have means to pay us." And sadly that is the case with most blacks in America today who reside in low income neighborhoods or thier jobs is not suffient enough to pay the medical bills. They simply just do not have the means to afford medial attention so in result as the text says their mortality rates go up, their children die young, they are at more risk of having some fatal medical condition and the list can go on. But to be honest thats just how the world works, and there is no point on dwelling on the matter but rather try to find ways to fix the problem.
Race and healthcare
It has become all to regular to see and hear of people who are forced to see their loved ones pass just because of the numbers in their bank account. It is ridiculous that our very country, a country that claims itself to be “the land of the free and the home of the brave” to be turned into the land of the rich and grave of the poor. I still am unable to grasp the notion that we are unable to come up with some sort of universal healthcare like that of Canada. My roommate is from Victoria, British Columbia Canada and shares the same thoughts. He’s told me on any day if you’re not feeling well you can go to any doctors’ office (depending on condition) and get right in and be treated. This is not isolated to only white people but those of all races. It’s astonishing that we cannot grasp this practice and implement it in society.
Not Such Great Strides After All
I cannot believe that a country that claims to believe that “all men are created equal” can fall so short of equality. We claim to have made great strides in eliminating racism and discrimination however; in this article we have evidence that we haven’t made such great strides after all. These are people’s lives that are being put into jeopardy. I cannot wrap my mind around why it is so difficult for us to see people as human beings. I honestly don’t understand why it is so hard for us as a society to break down this barrier. Obviously things need to change. There is no reason someone should suffer more than another due to the shade of his or her skin. I think that the U.S. owes it to all of its citizens, no matter their race; to start living up to the values that it claims to stand for.
What happened to equality?
As much as we like to tell ourselves that we live in a country of justice and equality the truth is we don’t. We talk big about making changes in our society, helping those who are less fortunate then us but what we fail to see is that not everyone agrees. There are people out there who simply do not agree that blacks are equal to whites. These people may be aware of their actions or not. I think the problem here is not country but the people doing the service. If blacks are allowed to serve and DIE for our country then why should black people in our society be regarded less when it comes to saving their lives? God did not create us differently to be ranked later on in life. He did it because he is amazing, creative and diverse and I believe we should appreciate his creation.
Is Race Really A Factor?
I tend to lean towards the same viewpoint that ACU-35 has on this issue in that a person's race does not really affect their ability to get the benefits of health care at all. Now in order to get to have the benefits of health care there are other factors which might be restricting to a person such as a lack of insurance, or lack of money but these have nothing to do with race. A white person that does not have insurance is not going to be able to have near the amounts of benefits of an African American person that has up-to-date insurance, and do we think of this as being racism? I think in most cases we don't, but if it were turned around to where it were the African American person that did not have the benefits of the health care system because of their lack of insurance and the same privileges were granted to a white individual then we would think it was more because of their race and not because of their economic matters. In all, it is true what ACU-35 said about hospitals not being able to turn down anyone because of their race or gender. I really don't understand what the article is getting at in concerns to how race affects the actual health care system because all the article talks about is how African American and Hispanic people's economic factors, environmental factors, and living conditions effect how they get sick, live their lives, and cannot afford to have the health care that everyone else has.
I do agree on the face that
I do agree on the face that minorities do seem to get the lower end of health. Minorities do get more diseases quicker and the health care is not helping. I do understand that most people do work and do get certain benefits, but not all benefits are sufficient enough. I do know that unemployment is rising and that minorities are stuck, but I also see many of these unemployed people not trying to make an effort to find a job. Many of these unemployed people are just being lazy and expect the government to give them everything, and when the government doesn't give them enough, all they do is complain. I am a minority in this country, but that doesn't stop me from achieving goals that are available to everybody. This is a country of equality, and I do know that some people do not follow this as it should be, but that should not stop anybody from working or getting their health care.
Facing Fact
I agree with the article that blacks don't have to same access to healthcare as whites do. This might have to do with their job or social status I don't know but, the government or whoever is in charge of making sure everyone knows about healthcare is doing a terrible job. But we can't completely blame the government all the way. We as individuals need to do a better job at finding out about healthcare and all the things that come with it. How to get it? Things like that, some people are just lazy but, others just cant simply afford it. I don't know what we can do to supply healthcare to them but it just seems unfair to turn away care to people who are sick regardless of the skin color.
Opportunity
I completely agree that minorities should have the same access to health care and I believe that there are several factors as to why there is a correlation between minorities and unemployment and therefore no insurance. Although racism unfortunately is still common, I believe current struggles by minorities stem from the more visible and widespread racism of the past. It wasn’t so long ago that slavery ended and it wasn’t so long ago that everybody achieved equality. There is still a ripple effect from the lack of opportunity in the past and minorities were initially at a disadvantage in terms of receiving an education and employment. Hopefully as racism disappears and as each new generation is provided access to equal opportunities in education and jobs, everybody regardless of race, religion or gender will be provided with the same opportunities and we will see less disparity among whites and minorities.
Ethnicity vs. Healthcare
Health care has been a highly discussed topic for many years and has now reached a new light with President Barack Obama's campaign. Especially with the fact that our current president is considered black, the issue of health care becomes a case of different races' statistics. The government should not be equipped with the blame for inequality, as they have tried to do enough, instead it is society that is causing and spreading the problem. It is true that blacks may suffer from more diseases than whites, those are statistics that can't lie, but they are not taking into consideration that it may be a part of his culture. To suffer from many of those diseases listed have to deal with cholesterol or high blood suger level, usually of which are related to diet. But they way one may eat can be based on their culture or background, not specifically race. Indeed, this new healthcare plan will help people in that shape of need by making healthcare available to all residents of the U.S. However, many whites believe that it is unfair because it will create equal opportunity for all people of any condition to be a part of. With this comes the racial remarks about ethnicity in the healthcare system. People want that separation, the feeling of superiority amongst your peers, and they are taken away part of that chance with the new healthcare bill being passed. Everyone will always be able to see race, but when it comes down to the pure focus and publication of many articles degrading black people there has to be a point that it comes to a stop. Unfortunately, this problem will continue for countless years but society needs to stop making racism such a big priority in the world. Ethnicity and the healthcare system should never mix together to provide the better of so many lives all across the nation.
It is more an issue of uninsured
The statistics obviously point to some startling facts with regard to blacks and the likely hood that they have a shorter life span or are more likely to die from certain diseases. I have a problem viewing this as racism within America’s Healthcare system. If there is discrimination going on it seems to me it would be against the uninsured in general and I know many white people who are uninsured as well. While there are many people who cannot afford healthcare, there are also many who just choose not to spend their money on health insurance or are just too lazy to work. I personally have a full-time employee to whom healthcare is offered and they are paid enough to take out insurance on their family, they just choose not to because they want to spend their money on other things. If there is a health crisis in this family, I don’t think America should have to pay because they just didn’t want to use the money that it would require for them to have good insurance. Yes, I can think of about a million different things I would have more fun spending my monthly payment of health insurance on, but I don’t think the government should have to be responsible for my families health, so I choose to keep them insured and I feel that it is my responsibility as a parent to make sure my children have proper medical attention if they need it. If government is going to get involved in healthcare, I think it needs to fair to those who work, those who are unable to work and those who just choose not to work. Sometimes our choices do come with consequences.
Race Factor In Healthcare
Although the statistics are astonishing, the fact that the majority of the people within the minority group make less money than the average white person is the sole factor for this seeming injustice. I disagree whole-heartedly with the user who believes that President Obama's health care reform would improve the healthcare system beyond the boundaries of any previous reform. Doctors may make a lot of money, but they spend a lot of money to be able to get there. My brother is in his first year as a practicing medical doctor, but he had to complete years of schooling before hand. In fact, we now joke that he just completed the 26th grade. Most of those years have been filled with student loans, loans for houses, cars, and children. Everyone seems to believe that medical doctors charge too much money, and in many cases they do, but the reality is that it takes a lot of money to become a well-trained doctor, and without high charge rates their loans could never be repaid. If students knew they would be forced to charge less upon reciving their practicing liscence, they would choose a different profession to be sure for fear of never being able to repay their debts. If we force medical professionals to charge less than they feel they deserve, we will have no more trained doctors, there will be no more incentive to go through such extensive schooling. Poor health care would be the result for everyone, even the people who are pushing for these reforms. There are many problems that have to do with race in this country and unfair advantages and disadvantages based on background, but the fact is, taking away a doctor's incentive takes away a patients ability to receive quality care. The numbers presented above are sadenning, but instead of changing the way we do healthcare I believe we must look for venues that benefit the minority, rather than disadvantage the majority.
Healthcare
As explained to me by one of my close friends who grew up as a non-white living in poverty, healthcare is not something one goes after immediately when living near or at poverty. Although a company may provide healthcare benefits to employees, some people do not take advantage of the benefits because every moment and hour spent in a line waiting for healthcare takes away from the person's daily income. For some people this could be the difference of whether they will be able to supply food for their family or not. So each time a person considers the pros and cons of receiving medical care that could be a deciding factor. Without proper education about the risks of waiting to seek help, some people make the fatal decision to procrastinate getting care.
Imagine if you had the decision to be uncomfortable for a few days or weeks and be able to feed your family, or waiting a few hours to get to see a doctor which then the doctor may require you to stay home from work and you do not make the money needed to support your family. Although you may feel better after the second choice, you then must watch your family suffer because of the income you lost. For someone making a six figure income, this may not be an issue, but for someone living paycheck to paycheck an unplanned medical expense could complete end in disaster.
There really may not be any perfect solution for this problem but it should be recognized. And although there are government organizations to provide healthcare to those without insurance, it could take weeks or months before the family actually receives a check.
Healthcare and Racism
Health care is a touchy subject in our society. These statistics are very shocking and sad at the same time. Knowing that the black race has a shorter life span and are more susceptible to dying from disease makes health care look like a racist issue. I know plenty of white people who do not have health care as well or people who just aren't willing to spend their money on it. Laziness also plays a role in people lacking health care. Not everyone, but a big part of our society is just too lazy to get a job to support their family and receive health care benefits. There is a group of people who just down right can't afford it and have tried every loop hole possible. I wish I could say that for these people, there should be an easy way out but it doesn't work that way. This subject will hurt feelings, step on toes, and be very offensive no matter how you look at it. Our country as a whole is greedy and helping people out is not one of our strong suits.
I Believe In...
The whole time I was reading this article I kept saying to myself, WHY? Why are people of treated less fairly than white people? Why does this get over looked? Why does it seem like there is nothing being done? I go to chemotherapy appointments with my mother, and looking back I have seen maybe one African American person in the infusion room receiving chemo. Very close to all of the patients are white. Is this because black people just don’t get cancer? Obviously that is not true. We know from this article that minorities in the U.S. die at higher rates from nearly every known disease in comparison to whites. So why aren’t there black people receiving chemo with my mom? If it is because African Americans are less properly educated on maintaining self health, then I believe there needs to be community health care education. If it is because African Americans are receiving less quality health care because of the color of their skin, then I believe there needs to be an enforced and regulated system of equality in hospitals. If an black person can’t receive life saving chemotherapy alongside of my white mother because they can not afford proper health insurance, then I believe in health care reform!
Healthcare
Healthcare has been an ongoing issue in America for some time and the debate is over keeping our health care as-is. Some people agree with this but others are trying for universal healthcare, similar to the Canadian system. There are obviously issues that occur within both ways of approaching the issue but what cannot be debated are the statistics from this article. After looking at these numbers, it seems obvious that whether we revise our current healthcare system or change to a new one, something MUST be done about the amount and quality of healthcare available to African-American citizens. These numbers are appalling and yet we still claim our country is one of "equal opportunity". After seeing this article and those statistics, "equal opportunity" is true...if you happen to be a middle or upper class white American. This is unacceptable and just further proves that the Civil Rights Movement has not changed the attitude of some American citizens. I feel sorrow not only for the victims of this issue but also for the people who worked and continue to work for truly equal rights among all races and genders in America.
Healthcare and Race
I believe that the healthcare system does make race a factor in terms of the quality of healthcare given and how much preventative care is offered. We all know that our healthcare system in America is focused on one thing, the almighty dollar. Now this is not to say that some healthcare providers are not giving the appropriate amount of healthcare needed to their patients or that they don't care, but when it comes to the bottom line, the healthcare system is a profitable business. Recently, I went to the eye doctor because I developed an infection, the prescription cost 90.00 dollars. To some this may seem like a small cost but that is 90.00 dollars I could have spent on say groceries or a bill. The hospitals, some doctors, the pharmaceutical companies, and many other factors accompany why certain individuals receive less than proficient healthcare.