“Families USA Launches New Center to Lower Costs, Get Better Value from American Health Care.” Web.
The event took place on 10/11/2022 in the Family U.S.A. center.
- Frederick Isasi, Families USA’s Executive Director
- Kasey Hampton, Senior Manager, Storytelling and Engagement Communications, Families USA
- Sara Lonardo, Senior Director, Communications, Families USA
The essential topics raised during the forum are healthcare accessibility and increased attention to the strategies being implemented toward equity. Frederick Isasi, Families U.S.A.’s Executive Director, stated that currently, there are many “whack incentives making care unaffordable and hurting the health of our nation’s families” (“Family USA,” 2022, para. 2). To develop new policies and advocate for change, the Center for Affordable Whole Person Care was created. It is vital that everyone, especially the exposed groups, can access medical help anytime and anywhere.
Due to the high demand for making medicine less costly and more accessible, Family U.S.A. is undertaking numerous initiatives to ensure sustainable improvements in the field (“Family USA,” 2022). The center’s creation will allow the board members to create projects and policies aimed at improving existing laws and regulations in healthcare. Since equity is at the core of the center’s activity, the members will attempt to advocate for the changes and pass them to Congress (“Family USA,” 2022). Such a way of reaching out to the authorities is beneficial because the initiatives and action plans will be compiled by top professionals in the industry. In addition, the projects proposed by the center will primarily concern families as Family U.S.A. majorly deals with eliminating inequalities in family care. Nonetheless, the holistic approach to care is supposed to be spread across all people.
Analysis and Implications
The sustainable development of territories is determined mainly by the socio-economic stability in the regions, including the level of accessibility and quality of health services. In this regard, the study of the scale of accessibility of healthcare and the development of directions for its improvement for the sustainable development of territories are of particular relevance (Smalley et al., 2021). The chosen report also claims that the stability of the U.S. as a nation entirely depends on healthy individuals who will be able to make social changes. Health care should be viewed from the perspective of high-performance industries as providing a powerful impetus for the socio-economic development of the country (Green, 2020). To ensure the nation is free of disorders, it is vital to reduce medication costs and provide access to an extended list of healthcare services.
Nevertheless, the provision of such services requires medical and social workers with an optimal set of skills at all levels of the health system, which are provided with fair distribution, adequate support, access to guaranteed quality products, and decent working conditions. Protecting people from the financial consequences caused by paying for medical services out of their funds reduces the risk of poverty (Green, 2021). Because of an unexpected illness, individuals are forced to spend their savings, sell their property, or take out a loan, thereby undermining their future, and often the future of their children.
Currently, the main goal of WHO is that everyone can get the help they need at the moment when it is necessary and directly where they live. In some countries, this has been achieved to some extent, but millions still need access to health services (“Health equity,” n. d.). Many more millions of individuals are forced to choose between spending on treatment and other daily needs – food, clothing, and even housing. Unequal access to health services leads to differences in life expectancy. In terms of the report, it signifies that the authorities should respond faster to ensure people are no longer suffering from diseases due to enormous service and drug costs.
The summarized report directly deals with WHO’s priorities as it also highlights the idea of eliminating inequality in healthcare and providing holistic care. However, it primarily depends on individuals themselves – it is indispensable to encourage oneself to stay healthy and resort to preventive medicine to avoid risks (Green, 2021). However, some people are not urged to monitor their health for different reasons constantly. Yet, they also need to have the same access to healthcare services as any other human (Smalley et al., 2021). Therefore, more accessible access to any medical treatment, whether preventive or palliative care, is vital.
In summation, to date, ensuring the availability and quality of healthcare services remains an acute social problem affecting the sustainable socio-economic development of territorial systems. On the one hand, to improve the health of the nation, the individual responsibility of citizens for their health should be encouraged. On the other – to develop global and targeted measures to improve the effectiveness of socio-economic policy at the federal and local levels. The healthcare sector, which is in deep crisis, requires urgent management measures to reduce social risks and solve society’s priority social problems. It will further contribute to achieving social sustainability and sustainable development of territorial systems as a whole.
References
Green, C. (2021). Examining and solving health disparities in the United States. IGI Global.
Health equity. (n. d.). WHO. Web.
Smalley, B., Warren, J., & Fernandez, I. (2021). Health equity: A solutions-focused approach… Springer.