When reflecting on the class readings and course materials it becomes evident that government policies are what forms this nation. Beginning with the insurance programs which impact the elderly, unemployed, and poor. What's more, the continuing issues which are associated with the distribution of benefits and resources. As well as movements which aided in the creation for laws that would ensure the rights of some of the country’s most helpless. The complex conflicts are a culmination of various problems which impact entitlements, health insurance and welfare policies. Additional topics will include class videos which shed light on sensitive issues. From the deteriorating welfare to work programs to the internal conflicts over charter schools and the failures of the foster care system. The issues which influence and impact this …show more content…
However there are countless Americans who are denied access to healthcare and the medical preventative measures which decrease mortality rates. “On average, the poor and older adults require more medical attention than the general population; indeed “the prevalence” of many chronic conditions is directly related to age and inversely related to financial status” (pg. 278). Also race, and gender have a major role in the health benefits an individual is given. “Gender is also an important factor in health outcomes. For example, men are 50 percent more likely than women to die of heart disease or cancer but there is very little difference in deaths from strokes or cerebrovascular disease” (pg. 278). The statistical findings also explain how individuals pay for healthcare which sheds some light on why it is so difficult for all Americans to have health coverage. “Employment-based group health insurance covered 59 percent. Private individually purchased health insurance covered about 9 percent” (pg. 278). However the amount of uninsured remains in the
This mini-paper will discuss the social welfare system. The mini-paper includes a discussion of welfare Policy, residual and institutional approach, and what is Social Welfare and Social Security. Midgely, (2009), pointed out that social welfare systems deliver services that facilitate and empower our society, especially to those persons who require assistance in meeting their basic human needs. The goal of social welfare is to provide social services to citizens from diverse cultures, and examples include Medicare, Medicaid, and food benefits. Midgley,( 2009).
Due to the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act signed into law on March 23rd, 2010; health care in the US is presently in a state of much needed transition. As of 2008, 46 Million residents (15% of the population) were uninsured and 60% of residents had coverage from private insurers. 55% of those covered by private insurers received it through their employer and 5% paid for it directly. Federal programs covered 24% of Americans; 13% under Medicare and10% under Medicaid. (Squires, 2010)
On a global scale, the United States is a relatively wealthy country of advanced industrialization. Unfortunately, the healthcare system is among the costliest, spending close to 18% of gross domestic product (GDP) towards funding healthcare (2011). No universal healthcare coverage is currently available. United States healthcare is currently funded through private, federal, state, and local sources. Coverage is provided privately and through the government and military. Nearly 85% of the U.S. population is covered to some extent, leaving a population of close to 48 million without any type of health insurance. Cost is the primary reason for lack of insurance and individuals foregoing medical care and use of prescription medications.
When we consider the education of our children in the United States, we must consider their health as a significant issue as it can positively or negatively impact a student’s education. It has generally been acknowledged that there is a great disparity in our country in the area of health care. Healthy People2010, a published report put out by the Health and Human Services Division of the Unites States Government (2000) has included as part of its Goals for 2010, to eliminate health disparities among different segments of the population. According to this report, health differences occur depending on a persons gender, race or ethnicity, education or income, disability, rural locality, or sexual orientation. In this paper, I will mostly concentrate on racial and ethnic differences as well as socioeconomic differences. According to the Healthy People 2010 report, biological and genetic differences do not explain the health disparities experienced by non-White populations in the United States. Besides "complex interaction among genetic variations, environmental factors, and specific health behaviors," Health and Human Services says, "inequalities in income and education underlie many health disparities in the United States." Also, "population groups that suffer the worst health status are also those that have the highest poverty rates and least education." Health, United States (1998) reported that each increase of income or education increased the likelihood of being in good health. According to this report, those with less education tend to die younger than those with more education for all major causes of death including chronic diseases, communicable diseases and injuries. There are several factors that account for differences between socioeconomic and racial and ethnic groups. These factors include a lower sedentary life style, cigarette smoking and less likely to have health insurance coverage or receive preventive care among these groups.
Out of all the industrialized countries in the world, the United States is the only one that doesn’t have a universal health care plan (Yamin 1157). The current health care system in the United States relies on employer-sponsored insurance programs or purchase of individual insurance plans. Employer-sponsored coverage has dropped from roughly 80 percent in 1982 to a little over 60 percent in 2006 (Kinney 809). The government does provide...
The United States spends vast amounts on its healthcare, while falling short of achieving superiority over other developed nations. One cannot overlook that the deepening recession has left many without jobs and therefore lacking health insurance. According to Fairhall and Steadman, (2009), even though the recession is hard on all, it is worse on the uninsured due to health care and insurance cost rising faster than incomes. Nevertheless, even those with jobs are lacking in health insurance due to employers, who provide insurance, are increasingly dropping their sponsored insurance. Many find that purchasing a health policy or paying for medical care out-of-pocket is cost prohibitive. “Since the recession began in December 2007, the number of unemployed Americans has increased by 3.6 million,” (Fairhall & Steadman, 2009). In 2009 it was stated that approximately 46 million Americans were uninsured, however not all of that number is due to the inability to afford coverage. According to a 2009 story written by Christopher Weaver of Kaiser Health News, 43% of that number should be classified as “voluntarily” uninsured. This subset of uninsured Americans consist of nearly half being young and healthy; therefo...
Until Obama-care, The United States was one of the only developed nations that did not provide some sort of health care for its citizens. To most other nations that do provide healthcare, it is because it is considered a human right that all people should be entitled to. That hasn’t been the case in America, however, where only those who could afford it could have healthcare plans. Those who stand to gain the most from universal healthcare are the already mentioned 45 million americans who currently don’t have any form of healthcare. For many of these individuals, there are many obstacles that prevent them from gaining healthcare. 80% of the 45 million are working class citizens, but either their employer doesn’t offer insurance, or they do but the individual can n...
Although women of low economical standing were some of the most reported as forgoing healthcare due to cost, women that were insured also disclosed the same reasoning for not seeking out care. Healthy People’s components of access-coverage, or the lack of coverage, states that “when they (uninsured) do get care” that is needed, they become “burden(ed) with large medical bills” (“Healthy People 2020”, 2017). Uninsured women faced large amounts of medical debt that hindered their ability to purchase essentials (Salganicoff, Ranji, Beamesderfer, & Kurani,
In all areas of health, poor people do not share the same life chances as those in the social class above them. Furthermore low income correlates with a lower quality of treatment for illness and disease.(389.2)
Healthcare disparities are when there are inequalities or differences of the conditions of health and the quality of care that is received among specific groups of people such as African Americans, Caucasians, Asians, or Hispanics. Not only does it occur between racial and ethnic groups, health disparities can happen between males and females as well. Minorities have the worst healthcare outcomes, higher death rates, and are more prone to terminal diseases. For African American men and women, some of the most common health disparities are diabetes, cancer, hypertension, cardiovascular disease, and HIV infections. Some factors that can contribute to disparities are healthcare access, transportation, specialist referrals, and non-effective communication with patients. There is also much racism that still occurs today, which can be another reason African Americans may be mistreated with their healthcare. “Although both black and white patients tended not to endorse the existence of racism in the medical system, African Americans patients were more likely to perceive racism” (Laveist, Nickerson, Bowie, 2000). Over the years, the health care system has made improvements but some Americans, such as African Americans, are still being treating unequally when wanting the same care they desire as everyone else.
Unnatural Causes, is Inequality Making us Sick? Is a documentary produced by California Newsreel, and directed by Lleewled M. Smith. Unnatural Cause analyses the factors which can influence the US population‘s health. The film illustrated several families in order to show how their health is influenced depend on different circumstances. The film is supported by the use of survey research which it is a sociological method to gather data. Additionally, the film gives proved sources showing that The US invests billions of dollars on health but still millions of people die every day. In fact, The USA is one of the richest countries in the world, but it is at the bottom of the list concerning life expectancy. An important question that professionals
America has a lower life expectancy. The life expectancy of the United States fares poorly to other countries. There are high mortality rates above the age of 50 because of the low performance of the health care system. While the US does screen well for cancer, survival rates of cancer, survival rates of heart attacks, strokes, and the medication for patients with high blood pressure or cholesterol. In greater depth there is a high mortality rate for prostate and breast cancer. We can see that the united States have a faster decline in the mortality rate for these two diseases than any other countries. And the gap between higher and lower income Americans has soared in recent decades according to a study. The failing wages for low income Americans have left 16 percent households classified as food insecure. And since America has a low life expectancy it’s hard to keep up with the diseases that are always popping up. Let’s take cancer for example, we have been fighting it for a long time and there is no cure for it. So the health insurance companies pay a lot to keep you for those treatments. And your health
One of the significant factors that contributes to health disparities is different ethnic and racial minorities have shown greater rates of being uninsured. Now millions of individuals, especially of color and social class, have access to the resources and to affordable health coverage (Ross, 2014). Since the ACA was enacted in 2010, the first five years included 11.7 million Americans purchasing new plans from marketplace, with 10.8 million more have Medicaid coverage, and an additional 3 million young adults are on their parents’ policies. (French et al., 2016). According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the percentage of individuals without health insurance fell from 16 percent in 2010 to 8.9 percent in 2016 (2016). That is almost half of the population, and is an significant
Health insurance facilitates entry into the health care system. Uninsured people are less likely to receive medical care and more likely to have poor health. Many Americans are foregoing medical care because they cannot afford it, or are struggling to pay their medical bills. “Adults in the US are more likely to go without health care due to cost” (Schoen, Osborn, Squires, Doty, & Pierson, 2010) Many of the currently uninsured or underinsured are forced accept inferior plans with large out-of-pocket costs, or are not be able to afford coverage offered by private health insurers. This lack of adequate coverage makes it difficult for people to get the health care they need and can have a particularly serious impact on a person's health and stability.
This paper will provide a brief overview of the problem analyzed and study methods used to resolve the problem. The problem analyzed in this article is whether clinical care would improve if a patient with Limited English Proficiency (LEP) is a provided someone who could interpret for them in a medical setting. The article segments the interpreters into 3 groups: untrained/ad hoc interpreters, professional interpreters only, and professional and ad hoc/untrained interpreter combined. The professional interpreters varied on training time from on-the-job to formal 40-hour training in medical terminology and skills specific to performing interpretation in a medical setting. The ad hoc interpreters could be anyone from a bilingual family member