The affordability of healthcare facilities continues to be an obstacle in the administration of quality healthcare services to the vast population of the US. The ability of a patient to afford quality medical services is a crucial determinant of the health status of the individual in the modern medical world, which is dominated by cost of treatment. Various approaches could be implemented to address the inequality of accessing effective healthcare among the low-income population in the US. This project will highlight the situation of inequality in the access of healthcare using a "real-life" scenario that occurred in Burlington, Boston, on 10th July 2019. On the stated date, an accident occurred in one of the construction sites in the Burlington. The accident involved two adults who were injured during the collapse of a wall that was under construction.
One of the victims of the accident was the manager of the construction company that was erecting the wall, and the other victim was a poor African American from the neighborhood, who had visited the construction site in search of employment. After the occurrence, the first victim, who is the manager of the construction company, was immediately evacuated by an ambulance for specialized treatment with reliable healthcare facilities. The victim, who is a poor guy from the neighborhood, was only attended by the primary first aid personnel. The poor victim could not be evacuated to better medical facilities because of the limitations of his financial capability. The scenario highlighted to me the plight of the low-income earners in accessing quality healthcare services. The events of that scene depict that the most effective programs that best solve the current inequity of healthcare among lower-income Americans are the establishment of subsidized medical scheme for the low-income earners, revoking clinic fee for the poor, and equal distribution of medical facilities.
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My Perspective on Solving the Current Inequity in the Accessibility of Quality Healthcare among the Low-Income Earners
The ability of the low earning citizens to access affordable healthcare is currently in jeopardy because of the increase in the costs of the various procedures applied in healthcare delivery. My perspective in the address of the prevailing inequality in the access of quality healthcare is that the issue can be solved through subsidizing the financial complexities involved in the administration of healthcare to poor patients who undergone toxic stress (Kiechle, 2019). Focusing on the ease of accessing healthcare for victims of toxic stress is credibility relevant since it eases the medical cost burden of the genuinely poor members of the society. Toxic stress is a result of prolonged exposure to poverty. Patients who depict signs of toxic stress as well as signs of low income deserve a subsidized medical program.
The introducing a subsidized treatment scheme for low-income earners would be a credible long term solution to the current situation. Low income earners are likely to transform into adulthood in a similarly poor state. Purnell, (2016) is quoted as, "Children who experience a particularly severe type of stress called "toxic stress" are also at increased risk for negative behavioral and health outcomes as adolescents and adults." Purnell implies that the poor patients, as indicated by signs of severe stress, are likely to grow into poor adults who are unable to secure reliable medical services. The quote depicts the relevance of my suggested intervention. The establishment of a subsidized medical program for low-income earners with toxic stress signs is an ideal long term measure will result to reducing of the costs various medical procedures.
Another intervention that best addresses the prevailing inequality in the accessibility of healthcare is the revoking of the clinic fee charged on low-income earners. The low-income earners struggle to keep up with the ever-growing costs of life (Clay, 2001). The current situation of escalated medical costs forces the low income earning Americans to focus their attention on other life issues other help (Clay, 2001). The current inequity in the accessibility of healthcare forces the poor patients to prioritize healthcare as a lesser need.
Purnell, (2016) argues that, "the connection of financial stress to health is quite explicit in the survey results, with nearly one-third of respondents who say that struggling to get by financially affects their ability to lead a healthy lifestyle and more than 20 percent who say that they have either considered or have skipped medical visits because they lacked the financial resources." Purnel, (2016) quote reveals that a bigger population which is living a low-income lifestyle is likely to perceive healthcare is a misplaced priority as they would opt to sacrifice medical appointment on the accounts of the high cost. The scenario projects my suggested intervention to revoke clinic fees on low-income earners as a long-term strategy in solving the existing inequality in access to healthcare services.
The current difficulty of the low-income earners to access quality healthcare can be solved through equal distribution of medical resources and employment opportunities among the American population. The impoverished nature of majority of the patients is caused by a lack of opportunities and resources to help them in stabilizing their income. The marginalized population accesses limited opportunities for enlightenment and work, and the phenomenon contributes to the continued inquest in the accessibility of healthcare among the poor and marginalized (Clay, 2001). The provision of opportunities to increase income for the marginalized is relevant in addressing the current healthcare inequity.
Moreover, Sternberg, (2018) argued that "Income also appears to play an outsize role in the health disparities that affect minorities, the report says, with wealthier people typically healthier than low-income members of their own racial or ethnic group, whether they're black, Hispanic or Native American." Sternberg implies that the economic viability of the members of American society is a key determinant in access to quality healthcare (Sternberg, 2018). It is recommendable to consider the redistribution of resource among the US population to ensure that poor Americans have opportunities to increase their income. Exposing the marginalized and the poor Americans to reliable resources enhances their ability to afford healthcare services offered in the country.
Conclusively, the current situation in the US healthcare program depicts a huge inability of the poor citizens to access reliable healthcare services. The reason for the current situation is the increased costs of living, which has resulted in increased costs of healthcare services. The current inequality in the access of medical services can be addressed through the establishment of a subsidized medical plan for low-income earners, the revoking of clinic fees charged on visiting low-income patients, and the redistribution of resources by the government to ensure the poor citizens access opportunities of increasing their income.
The establishment of subsidized treatment schemes for low-income patients is a long-term strategic measure of ensuring that citizens born in poverty and toxic stress do not transform into adulthood in a similarly poor state. The revoking of clinic fees charged on low-income patients is relevant in addressing the current situation because it allows poor citizens to receive booked treatment with ease. The intervention will also aid in reducing the occurrence of chronic conditions which result from poor adherence to treatment schedules. The relevance of effecting a national redistribution of resources is to expose low-income American to reliable opportunities to afford the various healthcare services offered in the country.
References
Clay, R. A. (2001). Wealth secures health. Monitor on Psychology http://www.apa.org/monitor/oct01/wealthhealth.aspx
Kiechle, M. A. (2019). "Health is Wealth": Valuing Health in the Nineteenth-Century United States. Journal of Social History. https://academic.oup.com/jsh/advance-article-abstract/doi/10.1093/jsh/shz104/5645192
Purnell, J. Q. (n.d.). Strong Financial Future. http://www.strongfinancialfuture.org/essays/financial-health-is-public-health/
Sternberg, S. (2018, May 2). How an Atlanta Community Curbed Childhood Obesity – by Accident https://www.usnews.com/news/healthiest-communities/articles/2018-05-02/health-and-wealth-is-being-rich-the-only-road-to-well-being
