Health Care for All

I want to give a shout-out to the medical team at Florida Hospital Orlando, particularly Dr. Sergio Larach, Sonny and Anne, for the excellent care they are providing my mentor, Milton Bins.

The last few days have brought the debate over health care close to home. Fortunately, Milton is covered by Medicare and a supplemental policy so he can focus on his recovery. But for many Americans, a major illness would ruin their health, their credit rating, and land them in bankruptcy court.

During the second presidential debate, Tom Brokaw asked, “Is health care in America a privilege, a right, or a responsibility?”

Barack Obama’s and John McCain’s responses were fundamentally different. While McCain said access to affordable health care is a “responsibility,” Obama said it is a “right”:

Well, I think it should be a right for every American. In a country as wealthy as ours, for us to have people who are going bankrupt because they can't pay their medical bills….

The estimated 47 million Americans without health care no doubt agree with Obama.

African Americans are disproportionately without health coverage. Over 25 percent of black men under age 65 are uninsured, according to a study by the Kaiser Family Foundation. By contrast, 16 percent of their white counterparts lack health coverage.

The study concludes:

African American men have the highest death rate of all racial/ethnic groups, male or female. The poorer health and health care indices of African American men have consequences for African American families and the nation’s economy. High rates of incarceration, and unemployment, and low levels of college graduation rates negatively affect their quality of life as well as access to health coverage and quality care. Efforts to improve the health of African American men need to consider improving health coverage and care, as well as social factors that affect health.

Simply stated, when something is wrong with black men, something is wrong with black women and black children.