Shared Values
While some Brownsville political leaders and healthcare administrators believe that healthcare access and coverage should be a right, others believe it is a privilege. Mayor Bill de Blasio has openly demonstrated the support for a system that guarantees every resident healthcare access and coverage (Kress, 2019). Brownsville has not invested in wellness and prevention, and the residents pay premium prices to access medical services. Dr. Herminia Palacio, the Deputy Mayor for Health and Human Services, claims that the government should invest in healthcare to enhance insurance coverage and improve the residents’ health outcomes (Kress, 2019). However, the left federal government officials have attempted to sabotage the Affordable Care Act, which guarantees care to low-income individuals, immigrants, and ineligible residents.
Problem
A major issue in Brownsville is the disparity in and postnatal care. Pregnant women in Brownsville are unlikely to have prenatal care ( Citizens Committee for Children [CCC], 2017 ). Late or no prenatal care results in low birth weight, neurological disabilities, and premature death. Besides, Brownsville’s preterm birth rates are highest in New York and continue to rise (CCC, 2017). The outcome is high infant mortality which serves as a measure for community health. It is associated with economic factors and lack of access to health care services. In 2014, Brownsville’s infant mortality rate was 6.1 (CCC, 2017). Although the number has been reducing over the years, most of Brownsville’s pregnant women have no access to proper postnatal care. Brownsville reported one of the highest child asthma hospitalization rates (CCC, 2017). Asthma attacks reflect increased exposure to ill-constructed houses and environmental hazards like pollution. Besides, most children need mental health services due to poverty, family violence, and child abuse and neglect. Despite these problems, few adults and children have health insurance coverage ( The US Department of Health Community Health Profiles: Brownsville, 2015 . Brownsville needs a healthcare system that addresses minority patients’ needs.
Delegate your assignment to our experts and they will do the rest.
Solution
The first solution is to eliminate payment for primary care under ACA. In 2013, ACA required the state governments to pay additional payments for fee-for-service and managed care ( The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation, 2017 ). This approach still enforces patients to pay for primary care. The best solution is to adopt the Japanese healthcare system that restricts the reimbursements for all services that healthcare maintenance organizations provide (Palfreman, 2008). Under this module, the government meets with healthcare stakeholders annually and sets the primary care costs. The state government should ensure that the citizens do not have to pay for any primary care service since most patients come from low-income families. However, the federal government should support the insurance companies.
Another solution is to copy Taiwan’s healthcare system approach. Brownsville should implement a high-tech healthcare system that allows patients to use smart cards when they visit healthcare facilities (Palfreman, 2008). The card will contain the patients’ health information history. In such a system, patients, especially pregnant women, will not have to queue to receive medical care. Besides, having national insurance that requires everyone to be members will ensure no disparity in care. Also, people from low-income backgrounds will not have to go broke trying to settle healthcare costs. Medical providers will compete for the government’s financial support, and the outcome will be improved health outcomes.
Evaluation
The ideas’ effectiveness will be evaluated based on the health outcomes, residents’ viewpoints, financial performance, and sustainability. Infant mortality rate will be the first element to considered (Palfreman, 2008). If the infant mortality rate decreased every year after the ideas have been implemented, the state government should continue to enforce them. The ideas will be viewed as effective if most Brownsville residents will be satisfied with them (Palfreman, 2008). Healthcare should be patient-centered and considered a right. Healthcare and insurance companies’ financial performance will determine the ideas’ effectiveness. If the health practitioners are satisfied with the government’s support, the ideas will prevail. Also, the ideas’ effectiveness will be based on the insurance companies’ sustainability and competition for government resources.
References
Citizens Committee for Children [CCC]. (2017). From strengths to solutions: An asset-based approach to meeting community needs in Brownsville . https://www.cccnewyork.org
The US Department of Health Community Health Profiles: Brownsville. (2015). Brooklyn Community District 16: Brownsville .
The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation. (2017). Summary of the Affordable Care Act .
Kress, M. (2019, May 1). Mayor de Blasio unveils NYC Care Card, details progress toward launch of guaranteed health care . Office of New York City. https://www1.nyc.gov/office-of-the-mayor/news/239-19/mayor-de-blasio-nyc-care-card-details-progress-toward-launch-guaranteed-health-care#/0
Palfreman, J. (2008, April 15). Sick around the world . Public Service Radio. https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/frontline/film/sickaroundtheworld/
