HCA255 Health Policy | Social Health Determinants of the US

me-gap between the low income and high income families is widening annually (Decker et al., 2013). The economic disparity is serving as a major barrier in terms of accessing health care facilities. There is an increasing need to make health care facilities available at an affordable cost so as to ensure fair accessibility of medical and health related benefits.

2.Description of the problem:

Financial insecurity serves as a major barrier in making healthcare facilities accessible to all the groups of the population (Syed, Gerber & Sharp, 2013). A major proportion of the population has been reported to suffer on account of higher medical costs, poor medical infrastructure and poor quality services. Also, a high rate of mortality has been witnessed in the overall US population on account of poor access to health care owing to the poor economic background.

Proposed Solution:

According to Sommers et al. (2013) provision of quality and affordable health care services must be designed in relation to economic background of the clients so as to promote health on a large scale. The solution to the problem would constitute improvising the infrastructure across health care organization with increased staffing and feasible chronic illness management programs. Providing effective training to professionals so as to facilitate proper provision to a number of clients within a stipulated period of time. Also, improvisation of infrastructure in terms of increasing beds in hospital and providing other essential facilities such as transport services, low cost dispensary and affordable canteen so as to render quality services to the target population belonging to the lower economic group.

Discussion:

The proposed solution would effectively help in making the health care facilities accessible to the major proportion of the population belonging to the lower income group. In addition to this it would also help in drawing the attention of the local government board so as to formulate effective policies and dispense funds in order to improvise the existing infrastructure across health care organizations. In addition to this, it would also help in providing quality services to the target population and reducing the morbidity and mortality rate owing to poor access to health care by a significant percentage.

Expected Outcome:

The project outcomes would be based upon three categories that include the fulfilment of short term, medium and long term goals. It can be expected that the successful implementation of the proposed project would help in attaining positive patient outcomes. It would further help in revolutionising the health care sector by reformulating existing health care policies to meet the health care needs of the marginalised population belonging to the lower income group

References:

Decker, S. L., Kostova, D., Kenney, G. M., & Long, S. K. (2013). Health status, risk factors, and medical conditions among persons enrolled in Medicaid vs uninsured low-income adults potentially eligible for Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act. Jama, 309(24), 2579-2586.

Sommers, B. D., Gunja, M. Z., Finegold, K., & Musco, T. (2015). Changes in self-reported insurance coverage, access to care, and health under the Affordable Care Act. Jama, 314(4), 366-374.

Syed, S. T., Gerber, B. S., & Sharp, L. K. (2013). Traveling towards disease: transportation barriers to health care access. Journal of community health, 38(5), 976-993.

World Bank Group. (2014). World development indicators 2014. World Bank Publications.