ADVOCATING FOR UNDER REPRESENTATION 

IN SUMMARY:

The issue of disparity in health care is a complex problem that doesn't have one answer. But there are steps our legislators can make to eliminate these inequalities.

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THREE ECONOMIC BURDENS TO SOLVE AND ADDRESS: 

1) direct medical costs of health inequalities

2) indirect costs of health inequalities 

3) costs of premature deaths 

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MAKE MEDICAL FACILITIES ACCESSIBLE EVERYWHERE: 

Several rural and lower-income populations face an issue of larger distances of medical facilities such as trauma centers, clinics, and pharmacies. If more of the facilities were in a ten-mile radius of all these lower-income and rural populations, fewer child illnesses, elderly suffering, and more life could appear. 

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ADJUST CULTURAL ASSUMPTIONS AND ADDRESS SEGREGATION: 

These populations are stigmatized because of their background and societal prejudices against them making those individuals feel more vulnerable. Many of these populations hesitate health care because cultural assumptions make them feel more as victims than patients. In addition, while segregation was made illegal in 1968, there is clear evidence that it still exists quietly in small aspects of our society. 

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NARROW THE INCOME GAP: 

For African Americans, income plays a great factor as to why they do not receive equal access to health care. Over the last handful of decades, research has shown that black-white income gaps are associated with the gap in health care too. Policymakers should consider the multiple sectors in society that have consequences for health disparities 

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IMPROVE MEDICAL CARE: 

Improving access to medical care for vulnerable populations can help reduce existing racial disparities in health care. Underrepresented minority providers are also more likely to practice to lower-income areas so it would be effective to include more diversity in medical practices too. This could help improve care and access to it. 

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