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![handle is hein.civil/usccro0001 and id is 1 raw text is:
UoCor
U.S. Commission on Civil Rights
Bioterrorism and Health Care Disparities
March 8, 2002
This briefing paper was prepared by the Commission's Office of Civil Rights Evaluation
for the information of the Commissioners. The findings and recommendations are those
of the staff
The recent cases of anthrax contamination have raised numerous questions regarding the
nation's health care system, especially as it relates to the prompt emergency medical
treatment of hundreds or perhaps thousands of individuals. Of special concern to the U.S.
Commission on Civil Rights is equitable treatment for all groups regardless of
socioeconomic status, English-language proficiency, ethnicity, or race. 1 [ 1]
With this review, the Commission's interest, focusing on the rights of protected classes,
is that all Americans receive medical treatment that is equally prompt, sufficient, and
systematic in the event of a biological attack on the United States. The U.S. Commission
on Civil Rights has long been concerned with health care disparities, and recent events
serve to make the urgency of the problem more stark. The following discussion
incorporates some of the Commission's main concerns.
1. How is the federal government making sure that all Americans are served fairly
and equitably by the health care system and receive medication and treatment
without class distinction?
[1] The U.S. Commission on Civil Rights is an independent, bipartisan fact-finding federal agency
established in 1957 to monitor and report on the status of civil rights in the nation. As the nation's
conscience on matters of civil rights, the Commission strives to keep the President, the Congress, and the
public informed about civil rights issues that deserve concentrated attention. In so doing, it continually
reminds all Americans why vigorous civil rights enforcement is in the national interest.](ViewImageLocal?handle=hein.civil/usccro0001&div=1&collection=&method=preview&ext=.png&size=3)