medical care

I am one of the millions of uninsured Americans. My story is not unique but is complicated and I have shared it openly in multiple venues with multiple media sources to raise awareness of the plight of the uninsured and to advocate for health care reform. For the first time, our nation is having serious discussions on health care reform. In every story I read, in every discussion I hear, people are asked about the costs of the uninsured. I can speak to the personal costs of being uninsured because I have lived that life for too long.

(Cross posted from the Progressive Pulse blog)
I wish that statement were not true, but I fear that it is.

I have found that medical studies often provide a window into the soul of our nation. Most recently, I was discouraged to read a report from a study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association. Once again it was confirmed that there is significant disparity in the medical treatment of whites and non-whites. This particular study found that black and Hispanic patients were 25% less likely to receive narcotic medications for severe pain in emergency rooms.