Minch 1

Madie Minch

Dr. Kevin Deegan-Krause and Dr. Elizabeth Hudson

PS 1010

26 April, 2016

Word Count: 526

PS 1010 Reflection

My group spent the semester focusing on the problem of health inequity which we

defined as the issue that not everyone is granted equal access to the same quality of health care.

The most surprising aspect, for me, was discovering just how large the problem was; as well as

the fact that it continues to grow even today in spite of the many efforts put forth by others in the

past. The uninsured rate between 2001 and 2011 drew a consistent incline, stopping at about

eighteen percent in 2011.

With the introduction of Obamacare the rate decreased dramatically but 1 in 10 people

were still left uninsured. I plan to continue volunteering my time in places such as the Voices of

Detroit Initiative which helps to bring uninsured patients out of the emergency room and places

them in the hands of a primary care physician for a fraction of the average rate.

Group work, for me personally, is very stressful. It is hard to rely on others to complete

their work and cause unnecessary stress when your own grade is dependent on their work.

Communication was a big issue in my group but we somehow always managed to piece

something together, sometimes only minutes before the deadline. For someone such as myself,

who suffers from severe anxiety and panic attacks, this was incredibly stressful and led to several

episodes on my part. I think the worst part of it all was feeling that I had no one to turn to
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because we were told at the beginning of the project that all group conflicts must be settled by

the group itself. But that is rather impossible when the group refuses to communicate.

My most valuable experience in this project was the service hours. Even though I wasnt

directly dealing with patients who suffered from the issue at hand, seeing people who actually

had insurance still struggle to make payments because their plan did not deem the service

medically necessary revealed to me that the problem is much deeper than the uninsured. Which

is why we chose the topic health inequity instead of focusing only on the uninsured. The

insurance system we have in place now is unbelievably flawed. The ACA and Medicare are

designed to help patients below the poverty line by granting them health care free of charge. But

those living just above the poverty line are also unable to afford health insurance and are

therefore forced to go without.

Overall I enjoyed the semester greatly. The stress of working in groups was counteracted

by the exaltation of completing something with meaning. I feel as though we have raised

awareness for the problem at hand, even on such a small scale as in the classroom. But I know

that I will continue to volunteer my time to those in need and by doing so fight against the rising

rate of the uninsured. I look forward to seeing how my small contributions of work will affect the

problem as a whole. My only hope is that I will be able to join a movement that someday will

bring all Americans a quality form of health care.