Opinion: America’s ‘medical minority’

In 1967, during an intense civil-rights movement, economist David Caplovitz published “The Poor Pay More.” The book discussed racial and ethnic minorities and the various ways in which they actually pay more for commodities than do middle-income earners. For example, low-income parents buy cheap shoes for their children. However, because the shoes are made of inferior materials and exhibit less precise construction, the shoes don’t last long and must be replaced far more frequently than quality shoes. Consequently, over time, poor people pay more for shoes than wealthier people. Caplovitz called this phenomenon the “poverty penalty.”

‘Medical minority’

People who have severe and chronic medical problems also pay more for almost everything that they need. For example, more than 37 million Americans suffer from diabetes. That’s more than one of every 10 Americans. According to the Mayo Clinic Press, “Type 2 diabetes happens when the body cannot use insulin correctly and sugar builds up in the blood.” This ten percent of our country’s population is part of our “medical minority.”

If their condition is untreated, the disorder eventually damages eyes, kidneys, nerves, and heart. The disease occurs when the pancreas fails to produce enough insulin to help sugar enter cells. There is no cure. But weight management, exercise, and medications can provide palliative care and prolong lives.