There is an important article that furthered the discussion of health inequality and inequity. I think there is an issue of an unexplained idea of health inequality in today’s society. This is because accurate measurement of health inequities is indispensable to track progress or to identify needs for health equity policy interventions, (Yukiko, Hurley, Norheim & Johri, 2015). According to the article by Yukiko, Hurley, Norheim & Johri, 2015, the treatment of unexplained inequality is not only methodological but ethical in question. The answer to the ethical question – whether unexplained health inequality is unfair — determines the appropriate standardization method for health inequity analysis and could lead to potentially divergent estimates of health inequity. However, it was described and defined, I think it is apparent that the effects of social and economic inequality on health of a society are profound. In large, overpopulated countries like U.S.A, especially India and China with its complex social architecture and economic extremes, the effect on health system is multi-fold. Unequal distribution of resources is an image of this inequality with connotation of the notion of “we are all born equal”, and adversely affects the health of under-privileged population. The socially under-privileged are incompetent to access the health services due to geographical, social, economic or gender related distances. Growing but unregulated private healthcare sector makes the gap between rich and poor more apparent. There is a widespread belief that as countries become richer, their citizens benefit from a better quality of life. However, the some literature evidence show that once countries attain a certain standard of living, it is the distribution of income and wealth within the society that determines health and well-being of the general population. Other social services may play a key role in balancing standard of living. This may be exemplified by the status of the U.S. Today, the United States of America (USA) is among the richest and most powerful countries in the world.
Like health care systems of other developed countries, Japan’s health care system faces significant challenges due to aging of the population and economic stagnation. Advanced medicine is a unique system of medical care in Japan offering highly technology-driven medical care that is not covered by public health insurance. Advanced medicine has recently developed and expanded as part of health care reform. Will it work? And has it work in U.S? These are the questions that Ri, Hiroto and Masayasu (2013) attempted to explore by briefly tracing the historical development of advanced medicine and described the characteristics, and current state of advanced medical care in Japan. They then offer opinions on the future of advanced medicine with careful consideration of its pros and cons. They also believed developing advanced medicine is an attempt to bring health care reform in line rather than the goal of health care reform.
Reducing economic inequalities within certain population could may posed effective way to tackle other types of discrimination and horizontal inequality (e.g. gender, race, sexuality, and religion). This is because people will be able to access services and goods more equally irrespective of their identities and will feel more equality with others. Publicly challenging misconceptions about the causes of inequality could help prevent these ideas from derailing practical discussions about how to reduce inequality in America. Reducing economic inequalities within U.S could even be a very effective way to tackle other types of discriminations and horizontal inequalities (e.g. gender, race, sexuality, and religion) because people will be able to access services and goods more equally irrespective of their identity and will feel more equality with others. There the notion that publicly challenging misconceptions about causes of health inequality could help prevent and expand ideas from earthshaking practical discussions about how to improve health equality in America. Japan had issues of health inequality that dated back to rising value of real assets, especially during the “bubble” period of the 1980s, which had the biggest contributor to increased inequality of wealth and other social amenities (Kasza, 2007). Japan could also be more effective by shifting to a more structured health system and strengthen quality governance. Delivery of the key services of primary care, acute care and long-term care should be better separated, to make sure that care takes place in the right setting and directions.
Kasza, G. J. (2007). Confronting income inequality in japan: A comparative analysis of causes, consequences, and reform.Comparative Economic Studies, 49(3), 473-475. doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.1057/palgrave.ces.8100205
Yukiko, A., Hurley, J., Norheim, O. F., & Johri, M. (2015). Unexplained health inequality — is it unfair?International Journal For Equity In Health, 14(1), 1-12.
