Minorities feel cheated in health care

SharonH, RN · Sep 24, 2003

Originally posted by Jen2
Sorry but I too have $50.00 taken out of my paycheck to pay for my healthcare as well as a $10.00 co-pay. In the year of 2003 I thought we were getting away from all of the "white people are treated better thing", but I guess not. I have a 3.7 GPA, and am riding soley through school on student loans, however if I were a minority teetering on academic porbation I'd get a state and federal grant. That being said I am done with this topic.

Where di dyou get this information from Jen? My dad paid for both and my sister's undergrad schooling out of his pocket. Now that I am in grad school, I could sorely use a state and/or federal grant because I had to take a semester off from school to save for next semester because I couldn't afford it. I have been told over and over again about this free ride that we minorities supposedly get but I keep missing the boat somehow.

MyReign1 · Sep 24, 2003

Originally posted by sjoe
People with a victim mentality will always believe they are getting the short end of the stick, no matter what the situation actually is. This kind of whining is always easier than taking responsibility for oneself.

The ONLY population in the U.S. that the US Supreme Court has deemed ENTITLED to health care is the jail and prison inmate population. And this population is MORE than representative of the groups identified in the original post. So, from that point of view, they are entitled to, and receiving, better healthcare than the rest of us.

What do you mean victim mentality? Exactly what responsibility should one take at the hospital. I'm not a doctor. Would you suggest I diagnose and treat my own problems? The reason "this population in MORE than reprensentative of " the afore mentioned groups are due to the same factors we receive poor healthcare. Let me spell it out for you: R-A-C-I-S-M. And, from your tone I can tell that you too are a contributor to that. I almost died while in college because I didn't want to go back to the emergency room because I was treated like crap. Like I didn't deserve to live. I didn't have my insurance card on me because I was rushing. They made me pay cash before I left. They wouldn't even bill me. My mom had to drive out of town, pick me up and take me back home. This isn't my only example of this type of treatment. I could go on, but God forbid I sound like a WHINER.

Walk a mile in my shoes,

MyReign1 · Sep 24, 2003

Originally posted by Jen2
Sorry but I too have $50.00 taken out of my paycheck to pay for my healthcare as well as a $10.00 co-pay. In the year of 2003 I thought we were getting away from all of the "white people are treated better thing", but I guess not. I have a 3.7 GPA, and am riding soley through school on student loans, however if I were a minority teetering on academic porbation I'd get a state and federal grant. That being said I am done with this topic.

This is laughable. Once in class we took a poll about misconceptions between races. It came to light that the white students all believed that black people went to college for free. Sorry sweety this is not true. I too made it through school on loans and prayers. What school loans and grants are you talking about? Please enlighten me, I wouldn't mind getting a free ride. Considering it's illegal to give grants based on race, I'm going to have to say you're mistaken. This is why there is still friction between white and blacks, because people continue to spread untruths like it's gospel. The truth is you don't know how the black students are paying for school and you don't care.

MyReign1 · Sep 24, 2003

Sharon,

I posted before I read your post. Isn't is amazing how totally inaccurate but pervasive this misconception is. I guess I'll start shouting it from the roof tops. Minorities (excluding American Indians) DO NOT go to school for free. We struggle just like everyone else, if not more so.

live4today, RN · Sep 25, 2003

:crying2:Crying for the people of the world.........red, yellow, black, and white...when will we accept one another. This thread and its comments reminds me of the biblical story of the two sons whose father gave them each the same opportunity financially. The one son stayed on at the ranch living with his father, tending to the sheep, saved his money or spent it wisely....to make his father proud. The other son decided to travel around, enjoying wine women and song until he ran out of money. He decided he couldn't go on living the "good life" and repented for his careless behavior. He returned to his father's home. His father saw him coming and shouted with excitement as he ran to embrace his long lost son "My son has come home! Go kill the fatted calf! We're going to celebrate the return of my son who was lost, but now is found!" The brother who stayed with the father all that time, and behaved himself, spent his money well, etc......started raising much verbal hell because he couldn't believe his father welcomed his scoundrel brother home, and even had the gall to kill the fatted calf for his brother's homecoming. This story is much like the people of the world. We see one sect of our Father God's children in misery and poverty and we say "It's their own fault if they want to live like that. Get a job! Stop abusing the money and the help they get." Then there's those people who live in a lap of luxury and think it's because they've worked hard and saved and used common sense with their spendings so of course they should be the ones who benefit. When they aren't.......they raise hell about it.

Folks........there's unjust acts all around us because our perception of life is that we should all pave our own way, and no one should get anything better than we've got because we worked hard and earned it and saved to enjoy the "good life". Poverty will always be with us. Sickness will always be with us. The wealthy will always be with us. The haves and have nots.........will always be with us. Fighting and arguing about it never solved anything. We are in the place that we are in because that's the way life happened for each individual. Our middle class lifestyle does NOT give us the right to down those who receive things we may have worked for, but they did not.

Look at Hollywood for instance. It sickens me to see movie stars wearing diamonds big enough to blind a person. It sickens me to see them pay thousands (hundreds of thousands) of dollars on material things such as art work, shoes, clothes they may only wear once, houses, and the like. We are meant to share our bounty with one another, not HOARD it to ourselves. How many people DIFFERENT and less well off than yourself have you helped lately? :scrying:

live4today, RN · Sep 25, 2003

P.S. Instead of looking at "poverty" as something to sneer at and raise hell about because our tax money is helping them, begin to count your blessings and decide how you may help someone worse off than yourself.

Everyone deserves a helping hand. Teach the poor to survive instead of teaching them to beg. Believe it or not.......even the poor and down trodden have self-pride and self-respect. Don't think they aren't embarrassed to be in the situation they are in. They most certainly are embarrassed. When we learn to see a situation in a new light and say "Gee, how can I be of help to that person that I seem to be detesting because they are getting something without paying for it and I have to pay for it?" Approach that person, get to know that person, walk in their shoes for five minutes as you listen to the dilemma they are in and wish they could get out of. Judge not lest you be judged.

There's always somebody better off than the next person. Even the poorest person has something someone poorer than himself/herself doesn't have...even if it's a dirty winter coat, or a dirty pair of shoes they may have found in someone's trashcan.

FutureNurse2006 · Sep 25, 2003

unfortunately, I too went once to theE.R and was treated like crap like If I were a disease. This type of discrimination is everywhere hospital or no hospital its always there. :devil: There quite a few prejudice people on this board to how sad..... :rolleyes:

pickledpepperRN · Sep 25, 2003

From the original article. I was not expecting such a heated discussion on this. Too bad.

http://www.msnbc.com/news/970053.asp?cp1=1

"In 2002 the Institute of Medicine reported that members of racial and ethnic minorities are given lower quality health care than whites even when make as much money and carry the same insurance."

--------------------------------------------------------

Last time I looked I was still black. I have more than $50.00 taken from my checks for health insurance. When I was injured I had to wait for a ridiculous authorization process for a referral, an MRI, another MD visit, and physical therapy. Each took two weeks so it was almost two months before I had any treatment other than pain pills.

I do NOT believe it was my color. The greedy HMO treats white people the same.

The next enrollment period I signed up for an expen$ive plan that does not require 10 working days to see the doctor.

SmilingBluEyes · Sep 25, 2003

WELL SAID RENEE...

yours is the most reasonable unbiased posting on here.

BRAVO!

Marie_LPN, RN, LPN, RN · Sep 25, 2003

Originally posted by tonchitoRN
lpn2b2004 - since you seem to think the hispanic is so much better off than you why don't you quit your job or work part-time like her and see how much better off you are.

only when you can walk in her shoes can you be so critical.

Never said anyone was better, what i DID say is that i have a problem with ppl who are able-bodied, non working, and mooching, in other words.

I work what is considered part-time to allow time for the 30 hours of school to cram in 3 1/2 days, that i am paying for myself. All on my own accord.

No i won't quit my job, i worked very hard to get to that job, not about to give that up. I am well aware of what it's like to work a job and get pennies for the work of three people, i do not need to be told about that, been there, done that.

Yes, i was critical (no sort of documentation in here file stating she is legally in this country), but i am hardly the only one.

live4today, RN · Sep 25, 2003

Thanks Deb! :kiss

Dear members and lurkers, :)

I challenge each and every one of you to say something encouraging to someone you usually wouldn't give the time of day to. Shining a light from your heart into someone else's heart makes a heart and the body glad. See how much better you will feel after doing that. If we do it once, we'll do it again, and again, and again. I wish you all many opportunities to be simply human and simply kindhearted to those who may rub you the wrong way in life regardless of their circumstance, race, ethnic origin, religion, or creed. We all bleed RED BLOOD, and when we die and the flesh leaves our bones, who can tell one skeleton from another just from looking at it? We are kin to one another in more ways than we choose to accept. We are the World...one big family.....shouldn't we start acting like it?

Nighty night. I've got lives to help save in about eight hours as so many of you do too. Have a restful nights sleep everyone, and if you are working tonight......may your shift be filled with blessed opportunities for you to grow even more than you grew yesterday....and have a great sleep in the morning. :kiss

Marie_LPN, RN, LPN, RN · Sep 25, 2003

Originally posted by nekhismom
LPN......

I live in VA also, and I feel I need to correct some of your misconceptions. First off, the state of VA requires hispanic immigrants to pay taxes. this applies even if you are illegal. I know because I translate for people regarding this sort of thing. Secondly, in my area, a lot of minorities do NOT qualify for free health care. In fact, I have volunteered and INTERPRETED SPANISH at my community's free clinic. People are asked to make a donation before service is rendered, but if they don't have it, that's ok. NOBODY is denied service as long as the clinic has the staff and capacity to serve the people needing the service. REGARDLESS OF YOUR INCOME. It seems to me that you are speaking of Medicaid or other state and federally funded health care programs. Well, guess what??? I KNOW LEGAL AND ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS WHO ARE NOT ELIGIBLE FOR MEDICAID. SOME MAKE TOO MUCH MONEY. If you are not a citizen or resident alien, you do not get help for yourself. If your child is a citizen, s/he is eligible for medicaid IF you meet the STRINGENT requirements.
Thirdly, just because she was not at work on the day the INS was there does NOT mean she is illegal. Perhaps she was there and you did not see her, perhaps she was ill or had another personal issue, maybe it was her day off. If you did not ask her, you have NO BUSINESS assuming what the circumstances were.

Next time you go to a country where NOBODY speaks your language and EVERYTHING is foreign and scary, THEN you can assert how UNFAIR it is to have someone assist you. Until then, do NOT speak badly about people you DO NOT understand. As a nurse, ASSUMPTINS can get you in a lot of trouble and could even cause you to lose your license. You should know that by now. Also, your personal prejudices are things that should be left at home. As a nurse, you should be compassionate for all people, regardless of race, language spoke, national origin, religion, or anything else you can think of that might cause you to discriminate.

Bottom line is don't judge people until you see what it is like to be in their situation.

Requiring ppl to pay taxes does not mean they are, be they white, black, green or purple. Was not speaking of Medicaid, either.

And i lived in a country for 2 years (Germany) when i not only learned the language, but also dealt with certain hostility from some once they found out i was an American, particularly from the older population, over things that happened over 30 years before i was even born.

"Thirdly, just because she was not at work on the day the INS was there does NOT mean she is illegal"

She was. She was caught in January and deported. My boss had to answer for why she never received anything stating this woman was legal to work in this country, turns out she'd never turned anything in because she'd had nothing to start with. And that's why isaid she was illegal. Beside the point though.

"Until then, do NOT speak badly about people you DO NOT understand"

I did NOT speak badly of PEOPLE, my POINT is that i am not able to receive the SAME healthcare treatment by being in a similar (NOT THE SAME) situation, and yes i DO have a problem with that, for myself, and for other people.

So do NOT imply that i discriminate, and save the personal prejudice thing for someone who is racist, please.

Back to the subject at hand, this was a big stray, sorry, spacenurse.