Healthcare - Anna Kazaryan

Having access to proper healthcare is an important issue in our community. From young age to old age, we can experience health conditions that need to be taken care of properly. Yet, free healthcare is not accessible to everyone in our country.

Accessibility to good healthcare can be affected by various factors. The National Healthcare Disparities Report (2011) finds that racial/ethnic minorities and individuals with low socioeconomic statuses are not proportionately represented in having access problems (2011). The substantial cost of medical expenses can be a burden for middle class individuals, let alone low income individuals. Without access to healthcare, screenings and prevention to diseases or disorders is postponed, and often it is too late to do anything about it.

            The Affordable Healthcare Act of 2010 did increase the amount of people insured. However, gaining healthcare does not even people get the coverage they need. There are disparities between people as the healthcare system is not the same across populations. 

“Health insurance coverage helps patients gain entry into the health care system. Lack of adequate coverage makes it difficult for people to get the health care they need and, when they do get care, burdens them with large medical bills.” (healthypeople.gov)

According to healthypeople.gov Uninsured people are:

• More likely to have poor health status
• Less likely to receive medical care
• More likely to be diagnosed later
• More likely to die prematurely

My community is filled with individuals of diverse backgrounds and most are low income families like my own. Therefore, this issue is of relevance to my family and me as well. Furthermore, within my family and acquaintances, there are older individuals with health issues that need attention. Even the young can need healthcare. I myself have a health issue that requires me to have access to healthcare and be able to get my prescriptions every month. If it was not for my access to healthcare, then I would not be able to diagnose my disease quickly or be able to maintain it like I have for the past five years. However, I only hope that my coverage does not change or else it would be costly and perhaps I will not be going to checkups as often.

 

“My name is Harry and I myself can attest to the issue of the health care system in America. It is not affordable for low income families like mine. I didn’t have health for the last eight years, and because of the new law I ended up getting fined for not having insurance. Now I pay a monthly premium for something I use year to year.”

                                      

  

This is Ruzanna, she was recently diagnosed with a blood cancer called myeloma. This also caused her to have kidney failure. Thankfully her healthcare allowed her to proceed with treatments such as chemotherapy and hemodialysis. However, this month she received news that her insurance company was closing and was assigned to a new company. Unfortunately neither of her current specialists, nor her primary care physician is in the new medical group. Even in her condition she faces the disparities of healthcare coverage.

 "As an American who has had both free healthcare in a low income household and paid healthcare after working, I believe health care coverage should be provided without a cost by the government. Not every working person can afford or have access to decent coverage, and not all policies are created equal."

 References:

Access to Health Services. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.healthypeople.gov/2020/topics-objectives/topic/Access-to-Health-Services 

Highlights From the 2011 National Healthcare Quality and Disparities Report. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://archive.ahrq.gov/research/findings/nhqrdr/nhdr11/key.html