Real health insurance
comes from the diet and eating that which was unclean to eating
that which is clean. That which is sanitary is that which
is clean and that which is unsanitary is that which is unclean.
What is the relationship between sanity and sanitarium, insanity
and unsanitary? When you put that into the principle of justice,
the more deprived of justice human beings are, the more insane
or unclean they become. When you can live in filth then you
encourage rats, cockroaches, flies and all things that are
carriers of disease. So, one of the first things that the
Honorable Elijah Muhammad enforced upon us was cleanliness
and he said one day that he would like to form a committee
of cleanliness to enforce cleanliness in the society. He said
cleanliness is not next to Godliness; it is Godliness. So
just helping our people to see the need for, and to get involved
in the practice of being clean, will start then on the road
to health and sanitary conditions.
We were required to
take a hot bath or a shower every day. We are required to
put the best foods in our stomachs and therefore the Muslims
countenance literally glowed. We never had prescription drugs
in our bathroom cabinets. We hardly ever had a headache. We
suffered from diabetes but we know how to master it. The key
is not forcing government to give health care to the people.
The key is providing the people with an internal force of
enlightenment that allows the people with health care should
they need it. But, if you are clean and you eat the proper
foods and you try to take control of your thoughts then you
are giving sane, and sanitary conditions to yourself and no
matter what the government does or does not do, we give health
to ourselves by what we do.The government said it was OK to
drink alcohol. God said no and we stopped. The government
said it was all right to smoke. God said no and we stopped.
The doctors said eat three meals a day. God said no. We ate
one meal a day and we got away from the forbidden swine and
shell food that is improper. These are instructions to the
people because what we represent is empowerment to the masses
by giving the masses the knowledge of how to do for themselves
rather than to depend on government, but the unity of the
masses will give us the power to redirect government. Health
is central to high quality of life. Good health requires both
preventive measures and curative programs. Central to preventive
measures is healthy food and healthy eating. Health is not
simply the absence of disease; health is defined as a human
right.At the federal level, managed care, social security
and Medicare/Medicaid programs are in financial stress. Since
medicine is big business and big government, the curative
medicine programs contain all of the characteristics that
challenge our survival, including racism and economic discrimination.
We must
change our eating habits. Next, we must reduce the amount
of junk food consumed by our children. Cigarette smoking is
suicidal; the use of controlled substances also results in
illness and death. Poor health contributes to lost income
and unemployment.
We must address political
issues involving health care with the same critical eye, the
same energy and the same demand for equity that we reserve
for the most important challenges to our survival
Health
Care
The Three leading causes
of death among Black people are heart disease, cancer and
respiratory illness. Heart disease is the number one cause
of death in the United States. In 1992, the death rate from
heart disease for Black males was 45.8% higher than for White
males. For Black females it was 69.2% higher. Also in 1992,
death rates from strokes were two times higher for blacks
than Whites.
Breast cancer is the
second leading cause of death among women in the United States.
Cervical cancer is also a serious problem. Black women are
more likely to die from this disease than White women. Black
men are twice as likely to die from prostate cancer than White
men.
Action
Items
Increase the level
of Awareness about risk factors related to heart disease and
stroke by collaborating with local community groups to develop
a health component that will develop and implement educational
activities tailored to meet the needs of community.
Increase access to
awareness and promote adequate and affordable medical insurance
coverage that will ensure early detection and treatment of
service for Blacks and other minorities by supporting legislation
to increase insurance portability and eliminate pre-existing
conditions clauses. Also, mobilize grassroots organizations
to support legislation prohibiting insurance or employment
discrimination based on genetic testing or information.
Issue: Dismantling
of Health Care Infrastructure
Policy decisions during
the past 20-25 years, based on cost reduction, have gutted
America's infrastructures. There has been a net loss of hospital
beds, clinics and availability of health care. Forty-three
to sixty million people are uninsured. Privatization of health
care has victimized Black and other poor communities. Politicians
have abdicated their reasonability. Excess death rates are
soaring. Preventable illness is resurgent due to cost cutting.
Support for concerned community-based doctors is paramount.
On the rise is food contamination by way of chemical additives
during the production process.
Issue: Health
Parity - The net disinvestments and down-sizing of
health care infrastructure increases the gap in health care
outcomes. Black, Latino American and other Americans need
more, not less, investment to produce more doctors, nurses
and dentist. There is also a need for more medical schools,
hospitals, and clinics.
Health Care:
Improve Access In Poor Communities - Everyone should
have access to basic health care. Minorities continue to suffer
and die disproportionately from treatable diseases.
Background - African Americans and other minorities disproportionately
suffer from preventable and treatable diseases. For example,
African American men die from strokes at almost twice the
rate of other men, and have a higher incidence of prostate
cancer than any other group.
While the overall death
rate due to breast cancer had declined, it has increased for
African American women. In addition, African American infants
are twice as likely as White babies to die before their first
birthday. Diabetes also is more common among African Americans
than Whites, with the highest rate among African American
women.
Managed
Care Reform
A.
"Patient Bill of Rights" - The CHC will support
legislation that: Facilitates access to emergency care to
all people.
Ensures the privacy/confidentiality
of all patients' records. Includes measures of accountability
for health care providers to monitor adequate service to minorities.
B.
Access to Specialist - Raise awareness of health care needs
of minority communities not being addressed by managed care,
including access to specialist. For instances, minority communities
that suffer disproportionately from diabetes and cancers must
have access to the appropriate medical treatment.
C. Restoration of Benefits for Legal Immigrants. Support Legislation
that restores SSI, Medicaid and food stamps to legal immigrants.
Medicare Reform - Advocate
for the inclusion of prescription drug coverage for all plans
and not limit it to Medicare HMO's.
Support the expansion
of eligibility to adults younger than 65 years old.
Advocate for Medicare
reimbursements to health care providers in all the territories
at a rate similar to that enjoyed by health providers in the
states.
Long-Term
Care
Support the $1,000
tax credit to compensate for formal and informal long-term
care for people of all ages with three or more limitations
in activities of daily living.
Support the National
Family Caregivers Program, which would assist families caring
for elderly in our minority communities. With the decrease
in payments to many health providers in our minority communities,
we must look for alternatives in traditional health care.
Mental Health - Latino
Americans suffer disproportionately from sever depression.
Mental and substance abuse disorders come in many forms and
include different diagnoses affecting millions of individuals.
Of those affected, Latino Americans have been found to have
the highest rate of severe depression compared with Whites
and other minority communities.
Support efforts by
the administration to educate Americans on the need for quality,
affordable mental health care, especially for our minority
communities.
Support parity of mental
health issues including drug and alcohol abuse.
Breast cancer is the
second leading cause of death among women in the United States.
Cervical cancer is also a serious problem. Black women are
more likely to die from this disease than White women. Black
men are twice as likely to die from prostate cancer than White
men.
Action
Items
Increase the level
of Awareness about risk factors related to heart disease and
stroke by collaborating with local community groups to develop
a health component that will develop and implement educational
activities tailored to meet the needs of community.
Increase access to
awareness and promote adequate and affordable medical insurance
coverage that will ensure early detection and treatment of
service for Blacks and other minorities by supporting legislation
to increase insurance portability and eliminate pre-existing
conditions clauses. Also, mobilize grassroots organizations
to support legislation prohibiting insurance or employment
discrimination based on genetic testing or information.
Issue: Dismantling
of Health Care Infrastructure
Policy decision s during
the past 20-25 years, based on cost reduction, have gutted
America's infrastructures. There has been a net loss of hospital
beds, clinics and availability of health care. Forty-three
to sixty million people are uninsured. Privatization of health
care has victimized Black and other poor communities. Politicians
have abdicated their reasonability. Excess death rates are
soaring. Preventable illness is resurgent due to cost cutting.
Support for concerned community-based doctors is paramount.
On the rise is food contamination by way of chemical additives
during the production process.
Issue: Health
Parity - The net disinvestments and down-sizing of
health care infrastructure increases the gap in health care
outcomes. Black, Latino American and other Americans need
more, not less, investment to produce more doctors, nurses
and dentist. There is also a need for more medical schools,
hospitals, and clinics.
Health Care:
Improve Access In Poor Communities - Everyone should
have access to basic health care. Minorities continue to suffer
and die disproportionately from treatable diseases.
Background - African Americans and other minorities disproportionately
suffer from preventable and treatable diseases. For example,
African American men die from strokes at almost twice the
rate of other men, and have a higher incidence of prostate
cancer than any other group.
While the overall death
rate due to breast cancer had declined, it has increased for
African American women. In addition, African American infants
are twice as likely as White babies to die before their first
birthday. Diabetes also is more common among African Americans
than Whites, with the highest rate among African American
women.
The lack of access
to preventive care and inadequate treatment when care is provided
account for the disparate impact on minorities health. Indeed,
almost 31 percent of minority adults do not have any health
insurance, compared to 14 percent of White adults. Minorities
are twice as likely to have very little or no choice in where
thy obtain health care. They are also less likely to be satisfied
with the quality of their care when they are fortunate enough
to receive it.
Statement by The
Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan
