Health Care Disparities, the Uninsured, and the Role of...

Health Care Disparities, the Uninsured, and the Role of Cardiologists in the National Debate Presidential Address to the Opening Plenary: American College of Cardiology Scientific Sessions Steven E. Nissen MD MACC We live in the wealthiest nation in the history of the world and practice our profession in an era of unprecedented technological capability. In cardiovascular medicine, we can diagnose and treat heart disease with innovative approaches unimaginable to the previous generation of physicians. However, as a wealthy nation with a technologically advanced health care system, history will judge us not by our scientific progress, but by how we treat the weakest and most vulnerable amongst us. By this critical measure of†¦show more content†¦In 2005, the federal government considered the poverty level as an annual income of approximately $20,000 for a family of four. If we consider families with incomes between 100% and 200% of the poverty level (between $20,000 and $40,000 annually), the rate of uninsured families is a staggering 33%. For families with incomes between 40,000 and 60,000 dollars annually, the uninsured rate is still about 16%. How do these figures translate int o access to healthcare? In 2005, a survey by the Kaiser Family Foundation found that 31% of the uninsured had no regular source of health care, 35% postponed needed care due to lack of money and insurance, and 36% spent less on basic needs to pay for health care. Parents with children comprise about a quarter of the total uninsured population. Women are disproportionately represented – 20% of women ages 18 to 64 have no health insurance. That figure rises to 38% for Hispanic women. With such statistics, is it any wonder that we rank 46th in life expectancy and have high rates of infant mortality? For our own specialty, the disparities in cardiovascular outcomes for the financially disadvantaged are profound. In a manuscript published just two weeks ago in JAMA, prominent College member Harlan Krumholtz reported that, after a myocardial infarction, patients with financial barriers to healthcare were much more likely to require re-hospitalization, suffer from angina, and have a lower quality ofShow MoreRelatedEssay on Community Health and Population Focused Nursing7251 Words   |  30 Pages069- Retail trade-18, 906 Professional, scientific and technical services-18,412 Education-16,427 Arts, entertainment and recreation-12,012 Construction accounts for 9,660. Top three employers: AMR Corp. (American Airlines and Envoy Air) Texas Health Resources  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Lockheed Martin Financial Annual Unemployment Rate in 2014- 5%. Total county income - $52,247,302,144 Per capita income - $28,265 Political Tarrant County has consistently supported Republican Party presidentialRead More_x000C_Introduction to Statistics and Data Analysis355457 Words   |  1422 Pagesan elected member of the International Statistics Institute. Roxy has recently completed ï ¬ ve years as the Chief Reader for the Advanced Placement Statistics Exam and currently chairs the American Statistical Association’s Joint Committee with the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics on Curriculum in Statistics and Probability for Grades K–12. In addition to her texts in introductory statistics, Roxy is also co-editor of Statistical Case Studies: A Collaboration Between Academe and Industry