Healthcare access is a critical issue affecting individuals’ and communities’ health and well-being worldwide. Unfortunately, many people, particularly those living in low-income and rural areas, do not have access to essential medical services, which can result in poorer health outcomes and higher healthcare costs. The lack of access to healthcare is a complex issue with many contributing factors. Individuals’ socioeconomic status is one of the primary causes of a lack of access to healthcare (Arpey, Gaglioti, & Rosenbaum, 2017). Many poor people and families cannot afford to pay for their required medical care. This can result in delayed or skipped medical treatment, leading to more severe and costly health problems in the future.
Another reason for limited access to healthcare is the scarcity of healthcare providers in some areas. This is especially true in rural areas, which have fewer hospitals and clinics and fewer healthcare professionals to serve the population. This makes it difficult for people living in rural areas to get the care they require, resulting in longer wait times for appointments and treatments. According to Gong et al. (2019), rural residence can be a strong predictor of mortality regardless of education, poverty, or race. For instance, there was a severe shortage of primary care physicians in rural areas of the United States between 2005 and 2016, with rural areas suffering more than urban areas (Gong et al., 2019). Rural countries have lower rates of health insurance coverage as well.
A lack of insurance coverage can also be attributed to a lack of access to healthcare. Makowska (2018) states that in 2013, 16.6% of people in the United States lacked health insurance. A lack of health insurance is commonly associated with low income. Many people, particularly self-employed or unemployed people, do not have access to employer-sponsored health insurance and may be unable to afford coverage on their own. Historically, the large number of uninsured people was due to insurance being prohibitively expensive and the law allowing people to be uninsured (Makowska, 2018). Furthermore, some people may be denied coverage due to pre-existing medical conditions or other factors.
Individuals and communities can suffer serious consequences if they do not have access to healthcare. It can, for example, lead to poorer health outcomes because people may not receive the medical treatment they require on time. Furthermore, a lack of access to preventive care can lead to more serious and costly health problems in the future. Furthermore, it has the potential to perpetuate poverty and social inequality because poor people may not have access to the same healthcare services as those who are more financially secure.
There are several steps that can be taken to address the issue of healthcare access. One of the most important is to increase funding for low-income individuals and families’ access to healthcare. This could include increasing funding for community health centers and other safety-net providers and expanding Medicaid and other public insurance programs (Arpey, Gaglioti, & Rosenbaum, 2017). Furthermore, there could be a greater emphasis on providing financial assistance to individuals and families in order to help them afford health insurance.
Increasing the number of healthcare providers in underserved areas is another critical step. Offering incentives to healthcare professionals to work in rural or low-income areas, as well as investing in telemedicine and other technologies that can connect patients with providers remotely, could be examples of this. Furthermore, more emphasis could be placed on developing community health worker programs that can connect patients with the healthcare services they require.
Finally, it is critical to improve the overall transparency of the healthcare system. This could include giving patients more opportunities to provide feedback about their interactions with healthcare providers, as well as encouraging more open communication between patients and providers. Furthermore, more emphasis could be placed on increasing transparency in the relationship between healthcare providers and insurance companies.
References
Arpey, N. C., Gaglioti, A. H., & Rosenbaum, M. E. (2017). How socioeconomic status affects patient perceptions of health care: A qualitative study. Journal of Primary Care & Community Health, 8(3), 169-175. Web.
Gong, G., Phillips, S. G., Hudson, C., Curti, D., & Philips, B. U. (2019). Higher US rural mortality rates linked to socioeconomic status, physician shortages, and lack of health insurance. Health Affairs, 38(12). Web.
Makowska, M. (2018). Uninsured America: Problem of lack of health insurance coverage in the US. Journal of Public Health, Nursing and Medical Rescue, 2, 33-39.