Dr. Martin Luther King stated that "Of all the forms of inequality, injustice in healthcare is the most shocking and inhumane” (Kennedy, 2013). Before the Affordable Care Act was passed in 2010, many Americans had no option for healthcare unless they were employed by a company that offered healthcare benefits. During the recession, many people lost their jobs at no fault of their own, and were left without coverage. I found myself in this situation. When I got sick, I tried everything over the counter first. I would then ask friends if they had any leftover prescription medication before I made an appointment to pay out of pocket for an office visit and prescription medication. It is scary to think about what would happen if you were sick, and needed to be hospitalized without insurance. Most hospitals want partial payment upfront, and others will make sure you are stable, and send you home. If one is hospitalized, I often wonder if the best treatment options would be provided. The movie John Q is a sad, but true example of the United States healthcare system. In the movie, Denzel Washington’s nine-year-old son needed a life-saving transplant. Denzel Washington discovered his healthcare insurance would not cover the cost, and government aid was not available. The hospital would not do the surgery without payment, and was willing to let his son go home to die. Denzel took matters into his own hands by taking patients hostage in the emergency room in an attempt to save his son’s life.
I think the middle class and the poor have been affected the most when it comes to healthcare. A person has to be poor enough before they
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(2013). HEALTH INEQUALITIES: PROMOTING POLICY CHANGES IN UTILIZING TRANSFORMATION DEVELOPMENT BY EMPOWERING AFRICAN AMERICAN COMMUNITIES IN REDUCING HEALTH DISPARITIES. Journal Of Cultural Diversity, 20(4), 155-162.
Williams, S. J., & Torrens, P. R. (2008).Introduction to Health Services (Seventh