The competition in the field of US healthcare leads to the undoubtedly high innovativeness of the medical technologies and medicines used at almost all levels of its provision. Even though such a private system responds to the American ideals, it remains quite expensive despite the Affordable Care Act (ACA) initiatives. Since the goals stated by this reform were not fully met, it seems that a new strategy should be developed to ensure access of various populations to appropriate care services at an affordable price.
High insurance investments in medical care impede the insurance of some populations, primarily low-income families and those living in underserved communities. Currently, there are approximately 50.7 million uninsured citizens, representing 16.7 percent of the US population (“Who gained health,” 2016). The issue with the presence of uninsured persons, including immigrants and other vulnerable populations, leads to serious consequences: about 20 thousand deaths (or 0.8% of all deaths per year) are due to the lack of health insurance and the need to pay bills for treatment options (“Who gained health,” 2016). The general availability of health insurance and lower healthcare costs are important regardless of what area they are in or conditions that existed previously in the medical industry. In other words, ACA proved that it could no longer be utilized without adjustments.
A range of solutions can be identified to improve the contemporary access and costs of people who had to spend a significant part of their income on health insurance. To enhance access to medical care in rural areas, the operation of mobile care provision stations can be organized. At the same time, they can be assigned the role of leading the preventative work, providing education on chronic diseases and the key health concerns in particular areas. The optimization of medical and social assistance should be considered by not only doctors but also nurses, the ones who ensure proper care activities and monitor their impact promptly. In this regard, staff training seems to be a feasible intervention that can set the goals to be achieved in communication and relationship building with patients. In addition, it is possible to suggest that payment for health care providers may depend on the outcome and quality of medical care based on specially designed indicators. These interventions are likely to reduce hospitalizations, avoid unnecessary services, and increase treatment progress, which will reduce care costs.
The uninsured immigrants compose a large group of individuals who rarely visit care centers and, therefore, have higher rates of morbidity and mortality. One may assume that they also should receive the benefits of ACA or another insurance system that will presumably be introduced by President Trump. However, the issue is complicated by the fact that many of them do not apply for insurance, although they have the right to do so, avoiding attention to their relatives who have problems with migration services. In this connection, it is evident that one of the ways to improve their access to healthcare is to legalize their status. The latter is also associated with difficulties since every immigration and migration case is specific, from being born in the US in a family of immigrants to illegitimate entry and living. Thus, further research is required to understand how the category of immigrants in the US can be given better access to healthcare services.
Reference
Who gained health insurance coverage under the ACA, and where do they live? (2016). Web.