[ad_1]
As a 77-year-old, African-American male, these are difficult, even dangerous times. The difficulty is that unless you are a member of Congress or outrageously wealthy, getting quality health care in this country is quite a challenge.
When I retired after 30 years of teaching at Manhattanville College on Dec. 31, 2019, I had no idea about the tremendous barriers to quality health care that I and my wife would encounter. First of all, dental insurance went away. Even though the Manhattanville coverage we had was minimal, it at least encouraged us to stay up to date with preventative care. This situation is no small matter, especially since according to the National Institute on Aging’s website, “Tooth Loss in Older Adults [is] Linked to Dementia” and other health issues.
You can, of course, opt for a so-called Medicare Advantage plan that may include some minimal dental benefits with coverage changing annually. Unfortunately, Medicare Advantage is most economically advantageous to large insurance companies. Such companies are financially incentivized to deny or restrict coverage through a very bureaucratic, slow pre-approval process for referrals to specialists.
This situation is only the tip of the iceberg for a health care system that COVID once again exposed as less responsive to the health care needs of people like me. Even today, people like me are more than twice as likely to die from COVID than white Americans.
“Driving while black” is a phrase that I became painfully familiar with 26 years ago this month when my son Malik E. Jones was killed by an East Haven police officer at the end of a traffic stop and chase for what should have been a routine motor vehicle violation. Apparently, these days, we should avoid “traveling while confused,” given what happened to 16-year-old Ralph Yarl in Kansas City and 20-year-old Kaylin Gillis in upstate New York. They were both shot for simply being lost. Ralph survived, Kaylin did not.
As a 77-year-old, African-American male, this situation makes night traveling anywhere unfamiliar very dangerous. As people of faith, we should stand up and say enough is enough when it comes to confusing health care for the elderly and senseless gun violence for everyone. Health care reform and commonsense gun reform should be high priorities for anyone who believes that faith matters when it comes to the health and safety of us all.
Jimmy E. Jones is professor of comparative religion and culture at The Islamic Seminary of America and president of the New Haven-based Malik Human Services Institute.
[ad_2]
Source link
