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An individual’s socioeconomic status, whether evaluated by income, level of education, or occupational status, has been linked to various health issues. It has been proven as one of the significant factors that determine one’s perception by society and, most notably, their access to opportunities. It is unfortunate that health care, a basic human need that should be available to all, is one such ‘opportunity’ that many do not have access to due to their socioeconomic status.
Evidence shows that an individual’s socioeconomic status is a reliable indicator of ill health and early mortality. Individuals ranked lower in the socioeconomic order tend to suffer from ailments and exhibit higher mortality rates disproportionately.
Historically, the world over, differences in mortality rates based on social class and occupation have consistently been documented. The 2016 National Healthcare Quality and Disparities Report of the United States, for example, shows that for all but one measure of access to health care, poor people experience worse access to care compared with people with high income.
Various justifications have been postulated to explain these disparities in accessing adequate health care. However, evidence has shown that the healthcare system has become a revenue-driven sector, with hospitals and physicians focusing more on earning higher revenue than actual patient care. Countless cases have been reported of lower-income earners being turned away from hospitals or being denied various lifesaving procedures and medication due to a lack of insurance coverage.
The lack of health insurance coverage means that individuals will postpone seeking urgent medical care or miss out on preemptive maintenance. This also means that such individuals do not have access to a regular doctor and have limited access to prescribed medical procedures and medication, which renders them more likely to be hospitalized for medical conditions that could have been averted with early diagnosis and timely action.
The cost of accessing health care has also become too expensive (right from the doctor’s fees to tests and procedures to medication) that those economically disadvantaged cannot afford it. Many American citizens with well-paying jobs have their healthcare funded by their employers, which is often included as a fringe benefit in their job packages. This excludes those in occupations that do not pay as well and therefore come with no fringe benefits.
It is also heartbreaking to note that numerous Americans have been forced into bankruptcy, homelessness, and all sorts of complications while trying to keep up with healthcare bills for themselves or their loved ones, sending them into a downward financial spiral.
This problem is further compounded by the fact that comparatively lower levels of expenditure are allocated to social services. Free medical clinics are few and far between. They are consistently overcrowded, with patients having to wait long hours to be attended to by overworked healthcare workers, and often experience shortages in much-needed medications.
Efforts have been made to rectify the situation by enacting the Affordable Care Act (ACA), which seeks to address these gaps in the healthcare system. It has led to unprecedented advances in medical insurance coverage by availing Medicaid coverage to low-income individuals. The number of uninsured nonelderly Americans decreased from over 46.5 million in 2010 (the year the ACA was enacted) to just below 27 million in 2016.
Evidence indicates that the expansion in insurance coverage access has improved low-income individuals’ ability to access medical treatment while promoting the health and financial security of those insured. There have been considerable increases in the number of individuals with personal physicians, reported ease of access to medication, and a decline in the number of those unable to access healthcare and reports of poor health.
Contrary to predictions that the expansion in insurance coverage would negatively affect the labor market, private-sector employment has been consistently on the upsurge since the ACA’s enactment. Those who already had health insurance also experience enhanced coverage since the covers must include a core set of health care services. Further to that, families are now better insulated against calamitous expenses associated with health care. Due to these coverage provisions, it has become evident that the health insurance sector is a viable source of insurance coverage for American citizens. But there is still a need to fully understand the medical insurance dynamics to encompass individuals with preexisting conditions and recalibrate premiums accordingly.
There are vital strides that must be made all around for success to overcome the disparities that currently exist in the inequitable access to health care. First, there must be cooperation as opposed to obstruction between the different political divides. Secondly, unique benefits accorded to interested parties such as the pharmaceutical industry, whose focus is on profits rather than the citizens’ well-being, must be done away with. Pragmatism is vital in both lawmaking and execution.
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