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July/August 2019
From the Editor: The Price of Inequality in Health Care The barriers to adequate health care for Hispanics are numerous—chiefly a lack of insurance, lack of access, and our health care system’s failure to provide language-appropriate and culturally relevant care. This is especially of concern for Hispanic individuals with diabetes, who face additional challenges and bear a disproportionate burden of consequences related to the disease. Diabetes is a key cause of death among Hispanics, almost one-half of whom can be expected to develop it. They are more than twice as likely than are non-Hispanic whites to develop diabetes, are more frequently undiagnosed, and experience more severe consequences. And compared with non-Hispanic whites, they are 50% more likely to die from the disease, have a 11/2 times greater risk of developing kidney failure as a result, and have a far greater chance of experiencing diabetic retinopathy. In addition, they’re more prone to develop prediabetes. In this issue’s cover story, Mario Anglada, CEO of Hoy Health, addresses the risk factors and the barriers to care, as well as potential solutions, including technological strategies that improve access to care and address needs related to primary care, management of chronic conditions, and medications. Also in this issue, contributor Jamie Santa Cruz offers another take on diabetes care, with a discussion of the Expanding Access to Diabetes Self-Management Training Act—legislation seeking to provide broader patient access to crucial services of diabetes educators. While Anglada addresses the obstacles to acquiring care for Hispanics, Santa Cruz looks more broadly at barriers to access and explores the benefits of diabetes self-management education and support. Further, she discusses everything providers need to know about the programs and the referral process. |
