[NIFL-FOBASICS:530] Re: Minorities and Health Care

From: Betsy Cornwell (Betsy_Cornwell@sad17.k12.me.us)
Date: Thu Mar 21 2002 - 14:18:42 EST


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From: "Betsy Cornwell" <Betsy_Cornwell@sad17.k12.me.us>
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Subject: [NIFL-FOBASICS:530] Re: Minorities and Health Care
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nifl-fobasics@nifl.gov writes:
> 
>> 
>> 
>
Thanks for the article.  I recently have been working with a woman who has
been unable to walk for several months.  Her condition does not usually
cause such a disability but her Medicaid was terminated about the time her
feet started to hurt.  Doctors reported to Medicaid that her condition was
easily treatable.  The Dept. of Human Services decided she didn't need
Medicaid because she didn't have a disability.  She stopped getting
medical treatment because she couldn't pay the bills and now she can't
walk.  Is she disabled or not?  I've been extremely confused because
doctors with such good reputations seem to be just brushing her off.  Now
I understand the dynamics a little better.  The doctors would insist that
they haven't treated her any differently because of her poor English but
they certainly seem to be operating with only half the necessary
information.

In all fairness I have to say that the Medicaid people have been extremely
flexible within their framework.  Once they were able to read letters that
gave a factual description of what her life was like with this condition,
things have suddenly taken a turn for the better.

This is another illustration of the close relationship between literacy
skills and access to quality medical care.
>
>
>> Minorities in America -- even those with private health insurance --
>receive
>> lower-quality care than that given to whites, a pattern so widespread
>and
>> severe that it contributes to higher death rates and shorter lifespans,
>a
>> major report released yesterday says.
>
>I am pasting below the link to the article---it's actually very alarming
>and illustrates the tremendous need for continued advocacy for better
>access to services for the LEP population in this country. 
>
>To view the entire article, go to 
>http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A58893-2002Mar20.html



Betsy Cornwell, coordinator
West Paris Family Learning Project
Agnes Gray School
170 Main St.
West Paris  ME  04289
(207) 674-2332
betsy_cornwell@sad17.k12.me.us



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