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Journal article
United States Federal Policies Contributing to Health and Health Care Inequities in Puerto Rico
American journal of public health (1971), v 114(S6), pp S478-S484
01 Jul 2024
PMID: 39083750
Featured in Collection : UN Sustainable Development Goals @ Drexel
Abstract
Puerto Rico, a territory of the United States since 1898, has recently experienced an increasing frequency and intensity of natural disasters and public health emergencies. In 2022, Hurricane Fiona became the latest storm to attract media attention and cast a light on Puerto Rico's deteriorating conditions, including infrastructural failings, health care provider shortages, and high levels of chronic illness. Although recent events have been uniquely devastating, decades of inequitable US federal policy practices have fueled the persistence of health inequities in the territory. Here we demonstrate how existing health and health care inequities in Puerto Rico have been exacerbated by compounding disasters but are rooted in the differential treatment of the territory under US federal policies. Specifically, we focus on the unequal US Federal Emergency Management Agency response to disasters in the territory, the lack of parity in federal Medicaid funding for Puerto Rico, and Puerto Rico's limited political power as a territory of the United States. We also provide empirically supported policy recommendations aimed at reducing health and health care inequities in the often-forgotten US territory of Puerto Rico. (Am J Public Health. 2024;114(S6):S478-S484. https://doi.org/10.2105/AJPH.2024.307585) [Formula: see text].Puerto Rico, a territory of the United States since 1898, has recently experienced an increasing frequency and intensity of natural disasters and public health emergencies. In 2022, Hurricane Fiona became the latest storm to attract media attention and cast a light on Puerto Rico's deteriorating conditions, including infrastructural failings, health care provider shortages, and high levels of chronic illness. Although recent events have been uniquely devastating, decades of inequitable US federal policy practices have fueled the persistence of health inequities in the territory. Here we demonstrate how existing health and health care inequities in Puerto Rico have been exacerbated by compounding disasters but are rooted in the differential treatment of the territory under US federal policies. Specifically, we focus on the unequal US Federal Emergency Management Agency response to disasters in the territory, the lack of parity in federal Medicaid funding for Puerto Rico, and Puerto Rico's limited political power as a territory of the United States. We also provide empirically supported policy recommendations aimed at reducing health and health care inequities in the often-forgotten US territory of Puerto Rico. (Am J Public Health. 2024;114(S6):S478-S484. https://doi.org/10.2105/AJPH.2024.307585) [Formula: see text].
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Details
- Title
- United States Federal Policies Contributing to Health and Health Care Inequities in Puerto Rico
- Creators
- Anna-Michelle Marie McSorley - Drexel UniversityAlexandra C Rivera-GonzálezDamaris Lopez Mercado - Drexel UniversityJosé A Pagán - Drexel UniversityJonathan Purtle - Drexel UniversityAlexander N Ortega - Drexel University
- Publication Details
- American journal of public health (1971), v 114(S6), pp S478-S484
- Publisher
- American Public Health Association
- Number of pages
- 7
- Grant note
- National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities: R01MD013866, R01MD016426
This work was supported by grants from the National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities (R01MD013866 and R01MD016426).
- Resource Type
- Journal article
- Language
- English
- Academic Unit
- Health Management and Policy
- Web of Science ID
- WOS:001301061900014
- Scopus ID
- 2-s2.0-85200292078
- Other Identifier
- 991021895762804721
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- Collaboration types
- Domestic collaboration
- Web of Science research areas
- Public, Environmental & Occupational Health