Just Another Blog in the Wheel

The statistics related to health disparities are, indeed, buttressed by numerous reasons for the disparities which are highly complex by nature. While the mainstream media and popular literature often gloss over these reasons, the peer-reviewed literature in public health certainly does not.

For example, the incidence of cardiovascular disease is higher in the African-American population. Some of the reasons for this are genetic. Others are related to lifestyle as it is in other populations. It makes sense to target screening programs to diseases which have a higher prevalence in certain populations. This is part of good public health practice and goes a long way towards eliminating disparities.

Other factors citied in the literature include socio-econimic status (poorer people tend to get less healthcare that those with more resources), geographic differences (e.g. rural vs. urban, vs. suburban), literacy, access to transportation and nearby healthcare resources, language barriers, and cultural competency by physicians. Many of these reasons are not related to overt racism.

The problem is often with the solutions proposed to eliminate disparities. While everyone agrees that socioeconomic status is related to poor health outcomes, we differ as to the correct solution for the problem. For example, redistrubtion of wealth schemes to address the socioeconomic status problems are routinely offered. Others propose things such as job training/vocational education and microloans.

The complexity of the problem belies the fact that health disparities are related to a variety of the interrelated factors named above. Offering solutions for just one of these is insufficient to address all of them.

While many people who desire to eliminate health disparities do wish for a more egalitarian society, others do not and just want to level the playing field so that opportunity and access to care are made available to those less fortunate. This access does not have to be provided by government, but can be provided through charity care from docotrs, hospitals, and non-profit organizations as it was for many years in America.

I think that it is important that we do not offer overly simplistic solutions for complex problems or generalize the health disparity issue into merely an egalitarian agenda. While lifestyle issues and personal choices certainly come into play (and are documented in the literature!), there are many factors beyond the control of those affected by health disparities. And the Good News is that the Church can help answer these problems in a way that the government and other organizations cannot.

This is an interesting article. I am a black person who had at least 3 of the health problllems mentioned above. three years a go someone told me about a nutrional suppliment that had caused her symptoms from Lupus to go away in 3 months. i put my whole family on these products and started to sell them. I am in better health now than 15 years ago, and I feel great. my doctor has taken me off medication for asthma, hypertension, allergies, and high cholesterol in the first 9 months. I have told everyone I know about thses products and while the world is FULL of skeptics I have found our relatives to be the MOST resistent to getting with this program. People who are in to personal responsibility know a solution when it’s offed to them. I want to die healthy. I thank God every day for liberating me from prescribed medication and restoring my health.

My friend, Dr. Val Finnell, says :poorer people tend to get less healthcare that those with more resources…”

This, in the words of Thurgood Marshall, is a crock. Dr. Finnell tries to process too many things simultaneously and shows the sort of weaknesses inherent in being spread across the globe an inch deep. I submit that the poor have MORE health care than the loaded, and I’ll wager that it is the case in NYC (can’t speak for Hunkapunk, KS). I could tell you stories till the cows come home. The poor CANNOT be refused treatment at City hospitals. The complete fraud of a “health care crisis” has got people discussing the fabrication of the emperor’s clothing. He hasn’t any! Universal health care is REALITY right now, today, here. 70% of the births at Coney Island Hospital are to Mexican and Pakistani families, a goodly number of whom are illegal, not one of whom is required to pay a penny if they choose not to. I have personally witnessed a man from Nigeria come to NYC to have two hips surgically replaced, while here illegally.

The disparity between reality and what iws put for reality in Dr. Finnell’s news sources have softened his once super critical thinking. The piece above was not a commentary on inequitous health care. It was a comment on what is not said by people who site its existence. Of course, had Val stuck to the program, at least in his old days before the Masons fried his brains, he would have provided us with the details of lifestyle choices and how they largely determine the disparity. He would have also pointed out that “genetic” is a code word for “lifestyle choices of grandparents, etc.”, instead of pretending it to be another category where something other than poor choices serve as the best explanation for disparity in health status of comparative groups.

Mary, please understand that it is Craig who has fun with the Bavinck pseudonym. It isn’t me. I confine my Reformed hero worship to my license plates only, never pseudonymous eddresses.

Moderator’s Note:

Funny…Pastor Steve…who again was it that was moonlighting on Yahoo Answers as Abe Kuyper, again? He definitely sounded like Schlissel…

Dear Pastor Steve:

Thanks for the reply, but I am surprised that it is not buttressed by any sort of evidence whatsoever (save anecdotal accounts) to counter well-established facts. Instead, you resort to invective and ad hominems which have no place in rational discussion. Besides, what does any of this have to do with Freemasonry?? By retorting thus, you show a lack of clear thinking and are just downright abusive. While I am certainly not an expert in this area, my knowledge is more than superficial given my current career field in preventive medicine and public health.

I did not miss your point that justification and details are often lacking for health disparities. It is true that many, especially the mainstream media, often gloss over over these details and a blog post certainly does not allow us enough space or time to adequately cite the evidence. For that, I would recommend that readers go to http://www.pubmed.com and conduct a search of the peer-reviewed medical literature. Type in “health disparities” and see what comes up.

Please know that I am not advocating that wealth should be redistributed or that lifestyle and moral choices are not important. They clearly are. No self-respecting physician would say otherwise.

Genetic differences are real and are not merely the lifestyle choices of grandparents. Certain populations are predisposed to various ailments. For example, you would not screen for Tay-Sachs disease in an African-American population but would in an Ashkenazi Jewish population. You would also screen for sickle cell anemia in blacks, but not in whites. Why? The genetic risks differ and they have little to do with the lifestyle choices of grandparents. To claim otherwise just demonstrates ignorance, I am sorry to say.

Health disparities exist. The problem is complex and does not lend itself to quick fixes. My last point was that this is an area where Christians can make a difference in many different ways.

LOL! That’s funny.

I beg to differ. All men ARE created equal in the image of God. If we have men who are not created equal then one group can claim that the other is less than fully human. What cannot be guaranteed is equality of outcome. This is what radical egalitarianism seeks to guarantee (outcomes) which it cannot without erasing important and necessary differences in our humanity. What should be protected is equality before the law and before God.

Steve’s experience that all poor can show up a hospital and receive care is overly simplistic and jaded. The poor often resort to the emergency room, for conditions that could have been treated weeks ago if they only had health insurance.

I am not sure what any of this has to do with white guilt, as this issue effects the entire poor uninsured population and has little to do with race (except for instances of genetic and cultural predisposition).

This post suffers from prejudice against class. Must be nice to receive health care from the church or indirectly due to the wealth of the congregation which pays your salary.

I don’t understand the reason for the anger against the government’s attempt to create equality for this civil right.

Moderator’s Note: While this post never intended to exhaustively address every aspect of this issue, it certainly is not based on prejudice nor the comforts presupposed above. As one who shares in the labors here at Messiah’s, I can personally attest to the situation into which this post was spoken. Since this comment, well-intended or not, managed to resort to ad hominem ascriptions–please allow a 3rd party to sort a couple things out.
Pastor Steve routinely has immigrants, especially those in need, living in his own house, eating at his own table, and frankly–spoils them rotten! In some cases, these (often CHRISTIAN!) immigrants are here for no other reason than to take advantage of the city’s socialized programs (medical and otherwise). Pastor Steve seeks to disciple these folks into a more mature approach to living–sometimes to their edification, otherwise to their condemnation. He has also routinely refused the congregation’s salary and is a tent-maker, receiving benefits from another employer and not the church–imitating Paul, that none would burdened on his account.
When I had an immigrant couple living in my home, I arrived quite late from long workday to find an ambulance at my front door. I rushed inside to see if everyone was ok. Instead, I was told that the gentlemen had some post-op pain that was not fully relieved by his prescription–and lacking the $$ for a car-service (which he had spent on DVD rentals!), he called 911 (from his cell-phone!) for a ride to the hospital to demand an opiate drip. Put it on my tab, thank you very much!
This is not an exceptional practice within city limits. This is routine. And this is first-hand experience. Working with the chaplaincy of the local municipal hospital has provided ample evidence for the case made in this post. It is well that readers appreciate the issue of ‘predisposition’ (genetic or other), however, it is precisely not those conditions which this post seeks to elucidate. –CB