I have learned a plethora of critical and important information regarding healthcare and health care policies in the United States and in the world while I took UC 105 and 106 as part of the Health Sciences Scholars Program. One of the topics that stuck out to me the most during the lecture was the topic of constrained choice. For me, this topic really resonated with me since I understood some of the constrained choices and decisions that many Americans have to go through on a daily basis. I also saw the inequalities and disparities that caused the constrained choices which is based on a person’s socioeconomic status, availability of resources, the environment of where a person lives, and the social health policies and laws created by the …show more content…
This has a ripple effect on the other aspects of life for people with constrained choices. Since my family did not have much money, the availability of the type of food and resource we can afford diminished. We had fast food and takes out more often since it was relatively cheaper and less time consuming compared to going out to buy groceries and taking the time to cook our meals in our busy lives. Also, my mother works long hours every week. She worked almost seventy hours a week to provide for our family. This has a negative effect on her body and health overall. For this, she has developed really high blood pressure, and she developed hyperthyroidism. She was sent to the the emergency room multiple times without any secure form of health insurance which further strained the choices she could make with the money and resources available to her and to our family. Our situation is an example of how many Americans have to make certain choices based on the available options even though the options are not ideal. Living through these experiences, the constrained choice have created health disparities for many lower income families. As future health care professionals, it is very critical to know that many people do not have equal access to resources that could benefit their health. The community and social policies currently being uphold in
Everyone should have the opportunity to achieve a healthy life and have comprehensive health care services available to them. To achieve this healthy life, people need to have access to the health care system and to a health care provider with whom they can develop a trusting relationship. However, existing barriers to attaining health care services often lead to disparities which in turn lead to differences in life expectancy, health status and a higher prevalence of certain chronic diseases (HealthyPeople.gov, 2012).
Simultaneously, health and healthcare policy plays a tremendous role in the quality of life of every American. Likewise, by the government constantly interceding, health and healthcare is significantly influenced by the political climate and undertakings of administration; therefore creating a conflictual split between republicans and democrats. Health care is regarded as a product rather than a human right shaped by policymaking. Policies establish healthcare service stipulations, which are rooted in local, state, and federal statutes combined with landmark court decisions. Not only does policy focus on healthcare services; but, it also places a substantial emphasis on cost-efficiency and equality.
Health disparities endure tenacious issues in the United States of America, setting certain groups at higher risk of being uninsured, limited access to care, facing a poorer quality of care, and overall negative health outcomes. The high incidence of health disparities reflects the range of individual, social, economic, racial/ethnic and environmental magnitudes. Among the minority groups, African-Americans disproportionately access health care and the health disparities clearly glow in the nationwide.
In today’s society, there is still a great struggle with health care disparities and many lives are affected by the lack of this fundamental program in our society. There are millions of people who die each year because they are unable to afford quality healthcare. The debate still continues about healthcare inequalities, what causes this disparity and who are affected by it. Health care is more of a necessity rather than a luxury and even though skeptics may argue to the latter, it only underlines the importance of the need for the wellbeing and care of individuals. There are several factors that could contribute to the lack of health care in the United States which ranges from but not limited to race, gender, socio- economic status, and lack of insurance coverage. The truth is there is a great disproportion between who can really afford quality healthcare as appose to individuals who have it. One would imagine that an employed individual would easily afford quality healthcare but we could be no further from the truth, since one’s economic status is an essential determinant to its affordability.
Though the American healthcare system has made big steps towards providing affordable healthcare for everyone, there remains a growing population of people who fall through the system’s cracks. These people are the medically underserved. They are typically the victims of unfortunate life circumstances that has left them without health insurance, or with insurance that provides inadequate coverage. The underserved also includes those who have trouble accessing healthcare for any reason. Anyone with illnesses or disabilities that require assistance beyond their coverage, or people who live in remote areas where healthcare services are sparse fall under this title. The term also does not exclude those who have sufficient insurance and resources, but struggle to understand and navigate our increasingly complex system of healthcare.
The United States is faced with multiple health disparities within the country that encompass many challenges for individuals when it comes to the fairness and access to health care. A health disparity is defined as the inconsistency of treatment between two different groups of individuals. Treatment that could be different could be seen as different care due to age, race, ethnicity, culture, or current socioeconomic status (Koh et al., 2012). Treatment may be different or delivered in different ways between literacy component individuals and illiterate individuals and be viewed as unequal care. Healthcare facilities must be cautious when providing care and be cautious of the health disparities that exist in order to provide equal and
Health Disparities, a term most common in the United States (Public Health Reports), is known as the difference or inequality that is justified by using people’s race, gender, age, rank, and socioeconomic status. In other words, it known as injustice in the health care services. Inequality within health care access has been a topic for years due to noticeable inequality. Inequality in health care for mother’s ranges from age, race, income status, and education. When the health care providers has the ability to deny service to anyone they feel cannot benefit the provider or the mother, this is where a disparity becomes the outstanding limit of injustice.
One of the goals of Healthy People 2020 is to increase access to health care, specifically through reducing “the proportion of persons who are unable to obtain or delay in obtaining necessary medical care” (Healthy People 2020) from 4.7 percent to 4.2 percent. The Center for Medicare Advocacy, and the California Health Policy Forum, have both identified race and ethnicity as key components of healthcare disparity. Defined as “a difference in which disadvantaged social groups such as the poor, racial/ethnic minorities, women and other groups who have persistently experienced social disadvantage or discrimination systematically experience worse health or greater health risks than more advantaged social groups,” (Center for Medicare Advocacy) policies to protect this population are non-specific.
Open approaches are definitive choices that are made in administrative, official, or legal extensions of government. They are definitive in the setting that the moves made at these levels have authenticity and are tying, at any rate until the point that changes are made in one of those extensions that influences the approach.
House Resolution (H.R.) 370 was introduced to Congress on January 9th, 2017 by Republican Rep. Bill Flores of Waco, Texas. The bill itself is quite simple, totaling two pages in length. The main purpose of the bill is repeal the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010 (ACA), completely restoring or reviving the laws it amended as if it had never existed. Unlike similar repeals to the ACA, this bill does not have a replacement plan or any sort of alternate plan. It simply takes the ACA away and restores the law to their pre-ACA state. This is concerning for many reasons, but it may also have some benefits as well. The future of America’s health care is ever changing and it is more important
All across the United States, it has been found that low income families are faced with extreme disparities in both health care, and their health care outcomes, when paralleled with their financially stable counterparts. While a number of contributing factors have led to such disparities, the latest income trends from across the nation, in addition to both the recession and high rates of unemployment, have profoundly challenged the aptitude for those living with a low-income to access health insurance, obtain quality care, and attain an overall healthy lifestyle.
Disparities in access to health services affect people and lead to unmet health needs, preventive medical services, and poor health. Low-income people are less able to afford the out-of-pocket costs of care, even if they have health insurance coverage. Public health insurance programs have expanded coverage for the poor and not enough to close the disparity gap. In order to improve health care services, we must make sure that the District 17 communities have usual and ongoing source of care as people with a usual source of care have better health outcomes. District Council 17 needs increased access to quality care regardless of their ability to pay, insurance status, or other potential barriers to
In 2010, the Affordable Care Act invoked a $75 millon dollar demonstration project known as the Medicad Emergency Psychiatric Demonstration that was amended in section 2707 of the Affordable Care Act (ACA). The change seemed to be just what the nation needed, however, there was fine print added to the amendment that changed the interpretation. The fine print stated, patients who are on Medicaid from the ages of 21-65 seeking inpatient mental health care can receive treatment under the law. However, the inpatient facility will receive no
This essay will explore how healthcare policy influences interproferssional working in the healthcare sector. I will reflect upon a practice based situation related to a service user and discuss how this is linked to the policy 'Our health, our care, our say ' (Department of Health, 2006).
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