Healthcare Discrimination
There are several groups of people who have experienced discrimination in the healthcare setting; however, as the baby boomers grow older, this group will become prevalent in the years to come. Ageism is common in healthcare. But when older adults experience discrimination, they endure the feeling frequently and—as a consequence of this treatment—they are more likely to develop new or worsened disabilities (DeBrew, 2015). Furthermore, this particular group of individuals experience poor medical treatment very often; and in many cases, older individuals can’t do anything about it due to being ill or because of their advance age.
According to research, one out of five adults over the age of fifty experience discrimination in healthcare settings and one in seventeen aged sixty-five and older experience frequent healthcare discrimination, which leads to new or worsened disabilities (DeBrew, 2015). The healthcare reform legislation encourages healthcare disparities. This is because it addresses health inequities or ensures that the reduction and eventual elimination of healthcare disparities becomes a national priority, causing many groups of color and immigrant populations to stay disproportionately hurt.
Some of the reasons this policy encourages disparities are:
· It does not enforce rules that force health insurance organizations to provide income-based standards for premiums.
· It results in low deductibles.
· It consists of low out-of-pocket coverage or low-cost healthcare coverage.
· It does not prevent the lack of health insurance within low-income populations.
· It does not allow the high healthcare costs to continue to rise.
· It does not provide legal immigrants with the same healthcare eligibility as that of legal citizens.
· It allows poor-quality medical treatments to continue (McDonough, 2017).
A policy for patient empowerment programs that encourage patients to be more active partners in their care by providing productive communication and increasing the interaction time between providers and patients is essential, for instance, building a well-designed policy that provides financial incentives to physicians and healthcare organizations that improves the time physicians spend with this particular group of patients, and by reducing disparities in the quality of care they provide to elderly populations. Poor communication can lead to patient mistrust of the provider and subsequent refusal of treatment (Castro, Van Regenmortel, Vanhaecht, Sermeus, & Van Hecke, 2016).
Discrimination in Healthcare
Federal law specifically protects individuals from many forms of discrimination in the provision of healthcare services. For example, those who qualify for federal health insurance programs such as medicare or medicaid may not be the subject of discrimination based on gender, race, or national origin.
Review each tab to learn more.
Racism and Discrimination
Example
Patients being stereotyped due to race and ethnicity and treated differently.
Preventative Policies
To fight racism and discrimination, we all need to recognize, name, and understand these attitudes and actions. We need to be open to identifying and controlling our own implicit biases.
Ageism
Example
Today’s society treats older people unfairly, often lumping all aged sixty-five and up into a group of old, frail, decrepit, forgetful, and sickly beings separate from the rest of society.
Preventative Policies
Getting rid of ageist attitudes in the health system requires medical practitioners to “recognize and appreciate the heterogeneity of older adults” through effective integration and exposure with them outside the hospital setting.
LGBTQ
Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer (LGBTQ)
Example
Many LGBTQ people have difficulty finding providers who are knowledgeable about their needs, encounter discrimination from insurers or providers, or delay or forego care because of concerns about how they will be treated.
Preventative Policies
Lawmakers at the federal, state and local levels should enact laws and regulations that expressly prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity in healthcare.
References:
Castro, E. M., Van Regenmortel, T., Vanhaecht, K., Sermeus, W., & Van Hecke, A. (2016). Patient empowerment, patient participation and patient-centeredness in hospital care: A concept analysis based on a literature review. Patient Education and Counseling, 99(12), 1923–1939. doi:10.1016/j.pec.2016.07.026
"You need a similar assignment done from scratch? Our qualified writers will help you with a guaranteed AI-free & plagiarism-free A+ quality paper, Confidentiality, Timely delivery & Livechat/phone Support.
Discount Code: CIPD30
WHATSAPP CHAT: +1 (781) 253-4162
Click ORDER NOW..
