Case Study: Increating Racially And Uninsured Community

Although the United States is a leader in healthcare innovation and spends more money on health care than any other industrialized nation, not all people in the United State benefit equally from this progress as a health care disparity exists between racial and ethnic minorities and white Americans. Health care disparity is defined as “a particular type of health difference that is closely linked with social or economic disadvantage…adversely affecting groups of people who have systematically experienced greater social and/or economic obstacles to health and/or clean environment based on their racial or ethnic group; religion; socioeconomic status; gender; age; mental health; cognitive, sensory or physical disability; sexual orientation or gender identity; geographic location; or other characteristics historically linked to discrimination or exclusion” (National Partnership for Action to End Health Disparities [NPAEHD], 2011, p. 3). Overwhelming evidence shows that racial and ethnic minorities receive inferior quality health care compared to white Americans, and multiple factors contribute to these disparities, including geography, lack of access to adequate health coverage, communication difficulties between patients and providers, cultural barriers, and lack of access to providers (American College of Physicians,

Increasing access to health care coverage and transportation will increase overall access to medical care for underpriveldged communities, who, have the hardest time accessing these services. Those living in rural areas will have to travel longer distances to a medical center and the time and money it takes to get to these appointments imposes a significant burden. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists report that less than half of rural women live within a 30 minute drive to the nearest hospital offering perinatal services (Healthcare). Transportation barriers can contribute to missed appointments, delayed care, and missed or delayed medication use leading to overall poorer health (Syed). A survey reported that 38 percent of white cancer

As mentioned previously, another factor that may contribute to disparities in care is the choice of location for a practice. Many patients, particularly those who are economically disadvantaged, may have difficulty commuting to a practice that is far from their community, especially if it is outside of the area serviced by public transportation. Furthermore, even if they can make it to the practice, they may be placing themselves at an even further economic

‘Some counties don't have certain types of doctors” (Leonard 2). If an individual only has one insurer that supports that area, that insurer may not cover that doctor or hospital in that area, which can result to that individual driving far out of their area, just so they can see a doctor or get their medical treatment for a reasonable price. Individuals are also being limited with options because their insurers may see them as costly, and they could force the individual to go to under resourced hospitals (Goodnough 3). This shows that even if an individual does not live in a rural area and has plenty of options to choose from, they can still be limited in location because their medical treatment can be seen as too expensive, and the insurance company has to figure out a way to save money.

As populations around the world continue to grow, it becomes more evident that health services provided worldwide are not growing at the same rate and instead will continue to put further strain on existing health disparities, and create new ones. In the United States alone, access to healthcare is a crucial topic of discussion principally as the American government continues to create initiatives and legislation such as the 2010 Affordable Care Act. Although, the United States has come a long way to legally create access to care to all its citizens, there is a disparity in the number of individuals that in actuality receive healthcare due to the geography of cities and the nation.

Within the United States some populations groups face greater challenges then the general public with being able to access needed health care services in a timely fashion. These populations are at a greater risk for poor physical, psychological, and social health. The correct term would be underserved populations or medically disadvantaged. They are at a disadvantaged for many reason such as socioeconomic status, health, and geographic conditions. Within these groups are the racial and ethnic minorities, uninsured children, women, rural area residents, mentally ill, chronic illness and the disabled. These groups experience greater barriers in access to care, financing of care, and cultural acceptance. Addressing these

Access to health care refers to the individual’s ability to obtain and use needed services (Ellis & Hartley, 2008). Access to health care affects a multitude of people. Uninsured, underinsured, elderly, lower socioeconomic class, minorities, and people that live in remote areas are at the highest risk for lack of access to health care. There are also economical and political roles that complicate access to health care. Access to health care is a multi-faceted concept involving geographic, economics, or sociocultural issues. With my extensive research on access to health care, I hope to provide influences regarding; who is affected by lack of access, geographic, economic, sociocultural access, and

In summary, the text elaborates on the issues at hand with both the business and social aspects of the inconsistencies in reaching fair and equitable healthcare within the United States. The aim is to reduce these discrepancies of racial/ethnic or socioeconomic disparities within the healthcare system by implementing interventions. A vital intervention is escalating responsibility and taking a closer look to polish up the quality of clinical care given for individual patients and communities. While working on these health imbalances, the healthcare organizations want to know that there will be a return on investment.

Transportation can be changed. A community can provide transportation for people living in the area that has Medicaid and has to be seen by a doctor. This transportation

The big issue with healthcare is the quantity and quality care. The victims that are punished and receive low quality care are low income families(NAHQ,2014). Socioeconomic status plays a large role in health treatment and diagnosis(ESSENTIAL). The quality care gap between low income individuals and the high income individuals makes the healthcare very controversial. One of the biggest debates that are discussed during elections are healthcare policies. Low income families that are highly prone to more variables such as poor air qualities, exposed water contamination such as the Flint Michigan and much more. The correlation for these low income families often avoid going to doctors before a larger health issue is presented due to many factors such as time and

This population will are prone to unhealthy eating habits, fewer doctors visit, and have higher risk with less coverage. According to CDC’s report on preventable hospitalization on rates were higher for residents of lower income neighborhoods compared with higher income neighborhoods and were higher for non-Hispanic blacks and Hispanics compared with non-Hispanic whites during 2001-2009. Additionally this group, may not have the options to select from multiple list of providers because doctors, hospitals and health care practitioner, are often inclined to move out to wealthier areas, in order to make profit to cover the cost of running their practice. Such actions, ultimately, causes lower-income areas to experience minimal and/or poor health care services even though they often need it the most.

People in urban areas and inner cities face problem of getting around due to lack of or no transportation method. Poor transportation will cause the inability to schedule appointments quickly or during convenient hours, and excessive time spent in the waiting room affect people ability and willingness to obtain needed care (Access to Health Care

The social issue that I am addressing is that certain populations in the United States are not able to receive the treatment they need. This has a lot to do with accessibility and affordability. “…residents of metropolitan areas have better geographic access to physicians.” (Newhouse) We are seeing an uneven distribution of available physicians in rural and urban areas. There is an abundance of doctors in the urban areas, but they aren’t branching out to the rural areas. This is known as a paradox of the United States health system: “shortage amid surplus”. (COGME)

Nurse leaders can partner with the local government, churches, schools and community groups to create programs that reduce health disparities. For example, a program geared towards promoting wellness and a healthy lifestyle in the community will be beneficial for all, including the uninsured minority groups. As a nurse practitioner, my plan would be to create a program to bridge the gap in care of the uninsured elderly immigrants, specifically those with diabetes in the city of Jacksonville. Research has shown that “ focusing on wellness and education programs as an approach for increasing the peoples’ understanding in making the connection between health status and lifestyle decreased mortality and morbidity rates in minorities

The negative impacts of limited or lack transportation services on rural population include rescheduled or missed appointments, delayed care and missed or delayed medication use (Syed, Gerber & Sharp, 2013). Mattson (2010) claimed that the delay in medical appointment for rural clients not only resulted in missing the care at the time they most need it, but it also can be more serious and costly