Identify a current health disparity in your community. Suggest and defend two strategies that may decrease the disparity. Suggesting another possible strategy for addressing the disparity in their community.

REPLY TO MY CLASSMATE’S RESPONSE TO THE ABOVE QUESTION AND EXPLAIN WHY YOU AGREE? (A MINIMUM OF 150 WORDS) 

In Houston, Texas, health inequity is probably one of the biggest health disparities of all. “Minorities are unequally impacted by upstream factors that impose many barriers to healthy living such as less: income, access to healthy foods, medical care, education and recreational facilities; and greater exposure to environmental toxins such as lead paint” (www.houstontx.gov, p.5, 2019).

Percentage of Adults Who Reported They Cannot See a Doctor Due to Cost by Race/Ethnicity, Harris County TX 2017:

White: 13.6%

Black: 21.6%

Hispanic: 30.4%

    One strategy to help minorities to overcome the health inequities that exist is to help the with ways to receive a higher level of education. By receiving a higher level of education, they will be to get better paying jobs and make a higher income. One strategy that can make this happen is to offer special grants to make it more affordable for the two go to school. It would also be beneficial to offer either free or discounted daycare as most low-income families cannot afford daycare.

    Another strategy is to offer low-income clinics for these families. Even with health insurance, the deductibles are high, prescriptions costs are still high. Minorities will still have to decide between food or medical costs. This low-income clinic can be done on a sliding scale fee. That is where the clients pay what they can afford for their appointment and their meds, according to what they make. This way they can afford medical care and medicines for them and their family.

Higher education and better and affordable medical care will allow for minorities to overcome health inequalities and to allow them and their children to live longer healthier lives. It may also give their children a chance to get out of poverty.

                                                          Reference:
Health Disparity and Health Inequities: 2019 Trends and Data Report Houston/Harris County. (2019). https://www.houstontx.gov/health/chs/documents/Health-Disparities-Summary-2019.pdf