Concept Paper



Concept Paper

Introduction

The healthcare received by black and white Medicare enrollees involves increasing evidence of racial or ethnic disparities. This research paper focuses on the information regarding these disparities by using literature review from variety of credible sources that provides data related to the existence and evidences for racial and ethnic disparities present in healthcare providence for white and black Medicare enrollees. In addition, this research also looks upon the factors that may cause these disparities and the initiatives that have been taken in order to reduce these differences. The research paper develops an envisioned methodology and design based on the disparities experienced by black and white Medicare enrollees. Further, strength and weaknesses of this research method is also highlighted in this paper and finally a justification for using this methodology is stated.

Statement of the Problem

The ethnic and racial disparities are highly evident in healthcare provided to black and white Medicare enrollees (Zuckerman, 2008).

Purpose of the Study

The purpose of this research study is to increase an awareness regarding the racial and ethnic disparities exist among black and white Medicare enrollees. The study seeks to explain the evidences for these inequalities presence in healthcare system of United States and provides information regarding possible factors that are behind this issue and the steps taken by government and HHS for reducing these disparities. Thus, the purpose of this research is to evaluate this problem and to illustrate the areas influence it.

Brief Review of the Literature

Ethnic and racial disparities have been evident in America since decades. However, these inequalities have been reduced to some extent since last few years, yet there are some areas which still present these disparities. Medicare is one of those areas that evident the disparities among the healthcare received by black and white enrollees. These disparities can be found in different treatments and services of Medicare, and several researchers have highlighted the continuation of this issue (Musa, Schulz, Harris, Silverman & Thomas, 2009). Documented disparities in healthcare system is presented for black and white Americans, where these ethnicity and race based differences are evident in various healthcare areas such as quality of or access to care (Benz et al, 2010).

Though the issue is highly considerable, but the society is not very well aware of these prevailing disparities in Medicare program. Research indicates that not only white Americans, even the African Americans and Hispanics lack awareness on this issue faced by their own communities (Benz et al, 2010). The IOM points out several aspects that provides the evidences for these disparities, for instance, blacks are most likely to get lower quality of healthcare across wide range of sickness areas or the desirable services is most likely to be provided to Anglo-Americans than black Americans (CLBC, 2012). The evidences provided by IOM report, significantly indicate the presence of these inequalities. Research indicates several reasons behind this issue, where socioeconomic factors largely contribute in causing this issue (Escarce, 2007). As According to IOM report the noticeable factors can be ...