The Influence Of Health Insurance

Mental health coverage has become a particularly notable topic in Indiana, made salient in the wake of the Scott County HIV outbreak related to needle sharing and the underlying issue of the unaddressed opioid crisis. (source, Source) An important response to the outbreak was Medicaid enrollment and treatment for both HIV and addiction (Source). Before the Affordable Care Act (ACA), many low-income adults could not afford health insurance that covered

Cheryl has been diagnosed with Generalized Anxiety Disorder, Major Depressive Disorder, and Alcohol Use Disorder. When asked about her concerns for post discharge she states that she has been heavily reliant on her parents and their health benefits for her treatment and that she is nervous that she may not have coverage to continue therapy. She reports that she felt safe knowing that “Obamacare” would be in place to help her afford the treatment she needs to stay mentally healthy and sober. She states that she is concerned about the possible repeal of the Affordable Care Act because she will need help paying for her mental health expenses. The Affordable Care Act made a giant leap in extending the work of the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act. These two acts work together to ensure that treatment for mental illness is accessible to many Americans that need treatment. Throughout this paper I

The national health Insurance system that was adopted by Canada is different from the national Health system in Great Britain, Because the actual care in Canada is delivered by the private providers which the government pays using the taxes. When in Great Britain most of the provider are employees of the government who are publicly trying to manage the health insurance

Lower income populations have been categorized with high rates of being uninsured and as mentioned in this brief earlier, mental health and substance use disorders are more prevalent among lower income populations. The changes to the Affordable Care Act (ACA) regarding mental and behavioral services increased the ability for people with these health concerns to gain insurance coverage and acquire the appropriate services needed (Beronio, K., Frank, R., Glied, S., 2014). Along with these changes to coverage, the ACA emphasizes the integration of services among healthcare agencies. With the passing of the Mental Health Services Act (MHSA) in 2004, funding was provided to counties in California. San Francisco’s Department of Public Health (SFDPH)

It is important to begin with the fact that the United States has no formal healthcare system. There are five subsystems: private employer provided insurance, Medicaid for low or no income individuals, Veteran’s hospitals serve military veterans, workers compensation serves individuals that have on-the-job injuries and services for active military and dependents. There is also the Medicare system that serves individuals over the age of 65 (Williams & Torrens, 2008). Even with all these subsystems, there are still many individuals without health insurance. It is also important to realize that having health insurance coverage and having access to healthcare are two entirely different issues. An individual can have insurance but still not have access to healthcare. Of course the goal in the United States is to provide adequate healthcare access to everyone (Beedasy, 2010). This is not always possible due to different demographics such as age, socioeconomic, and other issues. I have health insurance but with the deductible extremely high many times I cannot afford to go to the doctor. For individuals that are low income, this issue is a problem. There is a gap between income low enough to qualify

Mental Health coverage prior to the Affordable Care Act was far to none. With about nearly one-third of currently covered individuals having no coverage for substance abuse disorder services and approximately 20% having no coverage for mental health services. Services such as outpatient therapy visits, impatient crisis intervention and stabilization were among many that were not offered. Since the Affordable Health Care Act has been passed more individuals are able to afford health insurance that were once uninsured. It has helped many individuals in being able to obtain medical services that were once inaccessible.

1A. Market failure is a situation in which the allocation of goods and services is not efficient. In any given market, the quantity of a product demanded by consumers does not equate to the quantity supplied by suppliers. This is a direct result of a lack of certain economically ideal factors, which prevents equilibrium.

Long time ago, there was no need for health insurance in America, as doctors had many clients because their services were not so expensive and in some cases in rural areas, people could pay by giving other items. Doctors were not as knowledgeable as they are nowadays to care for the sick, therefore this didn't have much effect then on the patients, as they were treated for the basic illnesses.

However, these are microcosms of a person’s total being that must be treated and care for as well. The Affordable Care Act outlines guidelines for “essential health benefits” that must be covered by every insurance company, “ Obamacare 's "essential health benefits," which include ambulatory and ER care, hospital stays, maternity and newborn care, mental health and substance abuse services, prescription drug plans, rehabilitative care, and lab work. Dental and vision care is covered until a child reaches age 19”, (KidsHealth). It is important that when maintaining one’s health, not only the physical aspects are considered. Mental health and social health ultimately affect one’s physical health as well. That is why counseling services and rehabilitation centers are at an extreme need because mental health and substance abuse rates are at all times highs in our communities and our country. The repercussions of these can be felt on the physical body through side effects and neurological imbalances, which also lead to heart disease, stress, and stroke. The highest “silent killers” in our nation.

Health care has been the talk of many debates lately. There are populations of people that are living with chronic illnesses, or just not obtaining the kind of care they need. This paper will diagnosticate what factors are exacerbating and meliorating this problem, including: health insurance policies, cultural influences, and accessibility. This examination points out limitations in the overall system of United States healthcare, and will provide two possible approaches that community psychologists would take to address this social problem.

The issue of healthcare coverage under the federal health reform has been politically debated by many Americans, including the current Democratic presidential candidates Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders. The healthcare reform enacted in 2010 under President Obama’s regime intended to support the ongoing healthcare system as a building block to enhance more access to health insurance coverage for millions of uninsured Americans; yet the government’s tireless effort to ensure all individuals are covered remains a major issue across the country.

Problem Statement: The World Health Association defines ‘good’ health as: “a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.” However, in the United States, access to care and funding for mental health care are grossly neglected and underfunded in comparison to other aspects of health care.

Compared to other Western countries, the United States spends more per capita on health care than any other nation. In 1990; for example, national expenditures for health care were more than 40% comparing to Canada during the same period, whose spending was the second highest. Despite the enormous expense of health care in the United States, the general standards of health, such as life expectancy and infant mortality, are not as high as those in countries which spend less. Currently, the U.S. has a health care system based on insurance coverage; hence, the majority of the population is covered by private/employer-based insurance. Generally the employer pays a major part of the insurance premium and the individual pays a deductible

Currently, the issue of health insurance has been a bone of contention for the public regarding whether the United States government should provide this health plan or not. People often possess different perspectives and refer to pros and cons on both sides of the spectrum. While some believes a universal healthcare system will set a foundation for a lower quality of service, increasing governmental finance deficit, and higher taxes, others do not hold the same thought. A universal healthcare system brings enormous advantages rather than disadvantages, such as all-inclusive population coverage, convenient accessibility, low time cost, and affordable medical cost, all of which not only provide minimum insurance to the disadvantaged but also improve the efficiency of medical resources distribution.

Health insurance in the United States is a highly politicized issue. In recent years, many strides have been made to extend health insurance coverage to all Americans with the passage of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA). While the program has been vigorously debated in the public realm, arguments are often centered around political ideology rather than economic theory. This paper seeks to challenge the entire structure of the current health insurance model, since its inception in the 1950s. Through the overuse of a third-party payer model, a magnitude of problems have emerged that severely diminish the efficiency of health care allocation in the United States. This paper proposes a model that seeks to correct issues of cost, access, and market efficiency by adapting the Medicare Part D payment scheme for an all encompassing insurance model.