Demography and Race Determines Medical Care Provided, says Healthcore

According to Healthcore, the medical facilities provided to people are largely affected by the race and region to which they belong. This discrimination largely determines the difference between the death rates of whites and blacks, with the whites having a lower death rate.

In a research published by Healthcore, it was determined that the Blacks in America are at great disadvantage when it comes to health care. The results of these studies show that a Black with diabetes is at a five times greater risk than a White to get his leg amputated.

This research was conducted by Healthcore, a subsidiary of well point and headed by Louise Short, director of HealthCore's Integrated Research Network, and Otis Brawley, chief medical officer of the American Cancer Society. The study was financed by the nation’s largest health-related philanthropy, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.

The study shows a wide disparity on the basis of the region. For example the number of Blacks screened in Colorado was 66 percent which was 24 percent lower than in Massachusetts where this percentage rises to 88 percent. This discrimination includes even those people who have health insurance but have not received its benefits.

If the results for Black women were analyzed, the report shows the variation in the health care provided to women suffering from breast cancer. As per the report, 48 percent women were provided the health care as compared to 72 percent in Massachusetts. Further the maximum discrimination between whites and blacks was seen in the states of California and Illinois, having difference of 12 percent.

Further, results have shown that the Blacks were admitted more in to ICU's only during the last six months of their life. Also higher rates of unnecessary hospitalizations were documented in the states of Hawaii, Utah and Washington. The region with the least racial discrimination is Bronx, with a difference of 4 percent between the facilities provide to Blacks and Whites.

In order to reduce these disparities, the Robert Wood Johnson foundation is planning to announce 300 million dollar of aid. This will be utilized over a period of 3 years.

This report has been established after conducting a survey in 79 regions which contain a total of 80 percent of the American Black population. For further improvement of the results only those Blacks were included who had a Hispanic background.