The Assessment Of Yakima County

Limited healthcare in the United States forces those who are too sick to get coverage are either forced to pay large medical bills or die. If those individuals were able to see a doctor more regularly, then their health could have been followed sooner. A few years ago, I was unemployed from work a battling a health issue that caused me to lose my job. Originally, I lost my health insurance and then was offered a plan through Cobra. The premium amount that I was requested was over a $1000 per month. Luckily, I was able to be add on to my husband’s plan so I could still receive treatment. When you are not able to receive healthcare even for simple situations like an antibiotic for a cold has the potential to turn into pneumonia or something worse that could cause death. As we get older, our bodies have a harder time fighting infections and we are more likely to have a serve health issue like diabetes, cancer, and heart disease; which all cause severe implications on the body that hinder both the physical and psychological development of an

Financial burdens greatly limit the system’s accessibility; however, many in the U.S. are unable to fully utilize either option. Census estimates from 1999 indicate that 43 million Americans live without health insurance even though 75 percent of them have a full-time job or live in a household with at least one member working full-time (Mueller, , 5) In addition to the totally uninsured, census estimates also reveal that approximately 42 million other people in the U.S. are underinsured. This means that they have some insurance, but are still unable to afford all of their needed prescriptions, tests, visits to physicians, or hospital

In an article on the Uninsured it states that “Lack of coverage increases the unpredictability of medical expenses and the potential for financial catastrophe, including bankruptcy” (Content.healthaffairs.org). The stress that is added when trying to plan financially can become overwhelming, “even for the majority of Americans who have coverage, maintaining it is not a sure thing, and the prospect of losing it can cause anxiety

So why don’t these people get insurance? Well, as is so often quoted, “money makes the world go round.” When it comes to health insurance however, it is not the world, but only America that seems to have a problem with providing health care for a reasonable price to its citizens. 55 percent of uninsured people answered that the reason they are without the safety of insurance is the reason everyone expects--they cannot afford it (NRHA 1).

It is estimated there are between 20,000 and 45,000 deaths a year due to lack of health insurance. “The uninsured have a higher risk of death when compared to the privately insured…”, Andrew Wilper, M.D. Isn’t that sad? There shouldn’t be long hours of waiting before a patient can be treated just because he or she is uninsured. If it is an urgent matter, then we all should get equal treatment, don’t you

it. Not everyone has access to health insurance and there are those that are underinsured. “ In

Another strategy would involve utilizing data from existing public sources to assess the health and safety needs of the people of Utah County. The main elements of the collected data would involve the identification of the key health indicators and the corresponding risk factors. I would also collect information related to the impact of the social, economic and the environment on the health status of Utah inhabitants. The key sources of data for the assessment of needs of Utah populations would include US census bureau, healthy people 2020, environment public health tracking program, department of mental health and substance abuse and Utah hospital discharge database. Other sources of information for the need assessment would include the indicator based information system indicator for the public health department and Utah’s healthcare access survey (Niederdeppe, Bu, Borah, Kindig & Robert, 2008). I

Poverty level for Weber County 12.5% (Weber County, Utah, 2015) with Ogden City at 23.4% (Ogden City, Utah, 2015). According to the Weber-Morgan Health Department the top five causes of Mortality in this county are heart disease, cancer, stroke, accidents and chronic respiratory disease. Due to Weber counties documented higher than Utah states rates of obesity, drinking and smoking, which are leading contributors of heart disease, cancer and stroke deaths, Weber County’s life expectancy reflects the national average versus Utah’s rate (Weber-Morgan Health Annual report, 2010). The Weber-Morgan Health Department annotates that suicide is the leading cause of preventable diseases in Utah and Weber County with 180.7 per 1,000,000 which is higher than even the state average (Weber County, Utah, 2015). There are many concerns in Weber County, but the health concerns which are unfavorably affecting the quality of life in Weber County are obesity, adolescent pregnancy, sexually transmitted diseases and air quality. In 2009, 64.65% of adults in Weber and Morgan counties were considered overweight or obese (Weber-Morgan Health Department, 2014). The teen pregnancy rate in downtown Ogden has consistently ranked among the highest in the nation which brings Weber County’s rates up far above Utah’s average (Weber-Morgan

Some of the reasons some of the individuals may not want to buy health insurance the deductibles and premiums are very high and you pay way to much money for it. You also have to qualify for private health insurance.

According to the UCLA 2011, Adult’s Health Profile, the percent total of uninsured citizens between ages of 18 to 64 inShasta County is 26.5%, which had uninsured rates above the statewide average of 26.4%. The total insured citizens in Shasta County estimated to be 75%, access healthcare coverage through Medicare, Medi-Cal (California’s version of Medicaid for low-income people), employment-based insurance, or private health insurance. To be more specific, about 50.4% of total citizens are on employment-base insurance, 9.6% are under medi-Cal, and 13.6% are under other types of coverage. In 2014, U.S. citizens and legal residents will be required to have health care coverage. Therefore, those uninsured must have access to health care coverage in any way.

Risk of financial ruin is an important factor of having insurance. You Might face some health problems in later months like a sudden accident, cancer, diabetes, kidney stones or a car accident, this will leave with staggering medical bills. And not paying

Even with employer-sponsored programs and federal programs for those who qualify, many Americans are uninsured. Over 46 million Americans had no health insurance in 2006, and 86.7 million went without health insurance at some point in 2007 and 2008 (“Health Care Issues”). Why has the number of uninsured risen so drastically and why are employer-sponsored programs dwindling?

Someone without health coverage are less likely to receive preventative care and therefore more likely to become ill which increases medical costs, [1].

I. More than 43 million Americans reported being uninsured throughout 2002 and millions more lack coverage for shorter periods. The lack of insurance negatively affects not only the uninsured, but their families, the communities in which they live, and the country as a whole (The Institute of Medicine).

With the current healthcare system in the United States there are many people who do not have health insurance due to cost.