Health Equities

This year we witnessed the end of the college career of arguably the greatest female basketball player of all time and one that should be in the conversation for best basketball player of all time.  Caitlin Clark is now moving to the WNBA to finally reap the rewards of an incredible talent and years of hard work.  With Victor Wembanyama, the first draft ick in the NBA last year signing a contract that will pay him an average of around $14 million dollars, Caitlin Clark is going to be a millionaire.  Or so you may think.  Clark is actually going to make an average of 80K a year over the first three years.   Here is another number for you.  Buddy Hield is the 80th highest paid NBA player.  He makes $19.2 million dollars a year.  That salary would cover the salaries of all WNBA players.

That pay gap is not unique to basketball or sports.  The argument that the pay is linked to what the league brings in is a weak one at best.  In addition to the equality, justice and standards that we should be upholding, do we provide these leagues with the same opportunities to grow and bring in income?  For example, as a football fan (the real one), I enjoy women game as much as the men’s game.  I follow my favorite team in both the men and women, but while I can watch the men’s game any time, it is almost impossible to find the wone’s games.  They play on inferior pitches and there are so many other gaps in the opportunities provided.

How does this apply to healthcare you are asking?  I feel the same issues apply to the inequities and social injustice issues that are part of the healthcare system.  While I believe we can each make a difference, I also strongly believe that the gains are always going to be limited as long as they are not institutional changes.  There are many obstacles that stand in the way of making real gains.  Some of those obstacles are commonly talked about and some institutions try to address them.  One that I think many of us do not equate with health inequality is the ability of healthcare providers to discriminate against patients based on their own beliefs.  Many do not equate that with discrimination, and it is not only legal in many cases, but that right to discriminate is highlighted and defended.  That ability creates health inequality at many levels.  As I read the excellent blog by Christine, I started to think about the points she is making.  For example, the ability to refuse service based on religious beliefs is in its core discrimination.  It doesn’t if it is refusing to bake a cake or be a provider for a baby with lesbian parents.  Now imagine if a lesbian doctor refuses to treat a patient after they meditated and felt they could not treat a heterosexual person with good consciousness.  How about members of other groups who also have strong beliefs that do not fall under Christian belief values?  I strongly believe and defend the right for anyone to advocate for their views, including religious beliefs, similar to what Christine is saying, but I also agree with her that we should not be allowed to enforce our beliefs in our jobs regardless of the career or the beliefs.  Religious beliefs are a set of excellent moral and ethical standards for each individual but should not intrude on the rights of others.  Trying to reciprocate that to argue that someone can discriminate based on these beliefs is not only erroneous, but harmful.  Paraphrasing a statement I like: Religious beliefs, or many other beliefs are concepts.  They are good concepts, but not the only concept. 

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