Stony Brook, N.Y., October 2, 2018 – A survey of more than 37,000 adults age 18 and over in California with health insurance, indicates that while only 6 percent of that group experienced perceived racial or ethnic discrimination in healthcare, among those who did, delaying or forgoing their prescriptions or medical care was more common. The study is published in the October issue of The Journal of General Internal Medicine.
The survey results also reveal that adults with Medicare and Medicaid had a 66 percent higher likelihood of perceiving discrimination, relative to those with employer-sponsored health insurance coverage.
“This study of adults highlights an important area – possible discrimination – that both healthcare policymakers and healthcare providers need to pay better attention to and improve,” said co-author Héctor E. Alcalá, PhD, MPH, CPH, Assistant Professor in the Department of Family, Population and Preventive Medicine and the Program in Public Health at Stony Brook University.
“Our findings also reinforce that healthcare providers must work toward equitable care for all. By not doing so people are then more likely to avoid healthcare services they need,” he emphasizes.
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About Stony Brook University
Stony Brook University is going beyond the expectations of what today’s public universities can accomplish. Since its founding in 1957, this young university has grown to become a flagship as one of only four University Center campuses in the State University of New York (SUNY) system with more than 26,000 students and 2,600 faculty members, and 18 NCAA Division I athletic programs. Our faculty have earned numerous prestigious awards, including the Nobel Prize, Pulitzer Prize, Indianapolis Prize for animal conservation, Abel Prize and the inaugural Breakthrough Prize in Mathematics. The University offers students an elite education with an outstanding return on investment: U.S. News & World Report ranks Stony Brook among the top 50 public universities in the nation. Its membership in the Association of American Universities (AAU) places Stony Brook among the top 62 research institutions in North America. As part of the management team of Brookhaven National Laboratory, the University joins a prestigious group of universities that have a role in running federal R&D labs. Stony Brook University is a driving force in the region’s economy, generating nearly 60,000 jobs and an annual economic impact of more than $4.6 billion. Our state, country and world demand ambitious ideas, imaginative solutions and exceptional leadership to forge a better future for all. The students, alumni, researchers and faculty of Stony Brook University are prepared to meet this challenge.
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