Chronic Illness: A Case Study

Financial barriers to access health care are common in a low-income family when they are uninsured or underinsured. Many uninsured and undocumented immigrant received federal and state health care coverage. Latinos and African American are the ethnicities that are disproportionally get affected. Limited access to a doctor when they are sick, taking non-prescribed medication and holding off recommended treatment is only some of the problems they encountered (Carrillo et al., 2011).

One possible solution for the state and/or local government to consider would be to offer state funding for patients with chronic illnesses to be covered by a state funded insurance plan based on the patient’s income. This would allow for Mr. Davis to be seen for routine care, in an attempt to keep him healthy and reduce emergency room visits and hospitalizations. Another possible solution would be for local and state governments to fund healthcare facilities and/or clinics designated to care for patients with chronic health conditions; providing public health nurses who are available to visit the patients in the home in order to educate him or her on disease and disease processes.

Many uninsured and underinsured focus group participants described going to emergency departments for non‐urgent care because they could not afford to pay for private care and knew they would not have to pay the emergency department charges and/or preferred to be seen as soon as possible. Several informants mentioned that the emergency department becomes a default source of primary care, which is costly and lacks the continuity of care that chronic conditions demand ("Community Health Needs Assessment,"

It is a fact that patients who do not have access to primary care tend to delay seeking treatment until they are seriously ill. These delay results in poor health outcome and higher health care cost. It is critical that increased funding be allocated for Community Health Centers. Over the long run, investing in these centers ultimately reduces health care cost, improve patient welfare, outcomes and reduce budget allotment for healthcare.

There are people who are at increased risk of being readmitted to the hospital: those with comorbidities, older males, and unmarried people. Those living in poverty are 28% more likely to be re-hospitalized (Hu, Gonsahn, & Nerenz, 2014). People who live in poverty commonly do not have health insurance and do not want to/cannot pay for medical care, do not have adequate transportation for medical appointments, or do not have enough health literacy to understand the cause of their condition, how they can play a role in treating it, and why they need to take medication (Wasfy et al., 2014).

A homeless person is defined as someone “who lacks a fixed, regular adequate night time residence or a person who resides in a shelter, welfare hotel, transitional program or place not ordinarily used as regular sleeping accommodations, such as streets, movie theaters, cars, abandoned buildings, etc.” (Cone, 2008, p. ). Homelessness is a growing problem in the United States that affects the psychological and physical aspects of its victims. Two of the fastest growing subpopulations of the homeless are single mothers and families. The word homeless implies being extremely vulnerable and

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

Health disparities among African-Americans is a continuing problem that has been seen over many years. African-Americans have higher poverty rates, have lower rates of insurance coverage, and are more likely to be covered by Medicaid, than the White population (Copeland, 2005). This lack of insurance has led many of these individuals, to not seek treatment for illness, due to problem accessing health care (Kennedy, 2013). This leaves African-Americans with little to no treatment, which causes an increase of medical care that will be needed further on in their life or a sooner than expected death, caused by illness (Copeland, 2005).

A key factor affecting access to care is economic inequality. Many racial/ethnic groups are considered to be of low socioeconomic status in the United States. When one has to worry about food and housing, health is not considered a priority. Lack of health insurance is a huge problem that many people face. The inequalities in income means less money can be put towards doctor’s visits and medications. Research done by Shi, LeBrun, Zhu, and Tsai (2011) shows

Lack of doctors is only one facet to this multifaceted problem. Accessibility in terms of having the financial resources to obtain care is another. “Individuals in lower social status groups have the highest rates

There are several ways to cope with chronic illnesses; some are categorized as healthy or unhealthy, but ultimately, the coping mechanism that works best is the decision of the one affected by it, or the person living with a chronic illness. One kind of coping mechanism discussed by a radio interview of Michael Kinsley is denial, which to most people seems very unhealthy and non-beneficial. Denial in most forms is considered unwise, but Kinsley argues that denial of his illness gave him "eight years of privacy, eight years of relative normalcy" and it "saved" the sympathy of his friends and loved ones for the "end" rather than the beginning of his illness when he did not need it (). For him, denial and its benefits worked, and its effects were

Many people are seriously ill when they seek treatment because they lacked enough money in their insurance for treatment (Bush, 2015). Although people have reported general satisfaction with their health plans under PPACA, a Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF) survey has revealed that affordability is a concern for those who buy their own health insurance. 46% of those with both ACA-compliant and noncompliant plans reported it was “very” or “somewhat” difficult for them to afford their monthly health insurance premium (Medical Economics, 2015). Cost of care has been a longstanding barrier to care for minority groups. The survey did not find an improvement in Blacks and Asians skipping care due to cost concerns. (Pallarito, 2015).

The “Community Resource Sheet” is list of organizations that may or may not provide you with the medical services that a client needs. Some of these organizations provide their services free of charge, where as others charge based on the individual’s ability to pay, (i.e., based on an individual’s income). But these philanthropic measures have not improved the plight of the “working poor,” retirees, nor those left homeless by the recession, minimum wage jobs that do not offer health insurance, or a living wage, illnesses, on the job injuries, accidents, or marital separation and divorce. These are just a few reasons people find themselves in dire straits medically, and financially.

Changes in access to health care across different populations are the chief reason for current disparities in health care provision. These changes occur for several reasons, and some of the main factors that contribute to the problem in the United States are: Lack of health insurance – Several racial, ethnic, socioeconomic and other minority groups lack adequate health insurance coverage in comparison with people who can afford healthcare insurance. The majority of these individuals are likely to put off health care or go without the necessary healthcare and medication that is needed. Lack of financial resources – Lack of accessibility to funding is a barrier to health care for a lot of people living in the United States

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