Free Essay on Improving Access to Health Care for Those Without Insurance or on Medicaid

Established under the Social Security Act in 1965, Medicaid has covered healthcare access, especially for those families with a poor background, the elderly, and the disabled as well as low-income earners (Sommers et al., 96). The program is categorized as one of the major components of the National social security safety net. As such, it has issued health insurances to the majority of the population and acts as a major source of Federal Financial Assistance to the States. Medicaid also serves an important purpose in covering the welfare populations of States. In turn, this implementation ensures that the needs of low-income families, the elderly, and those with chronic, disabling health conditions are addressed.

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According to various principal findings, Medicaid beneficiaries' access and use are of great significance in comparison to those acquired by the uninsured. As such, the benefits of incorporating Medicaid coverage are essentially larger than the estimation resulting from the accounted selection (Castro, Dunkelberg, and McCown 3). Similar to that of the low-income privately insured, Medicaid beneficiaries' access and use are reliant upon the insurance selection. As a result, this process may not significantly differ from access and use under private insurance. Hence, if the insurance selection is not controlled, the outcome for these beneficiaries can often be worse when compared to the low-income privately insured.

As the largest health insurance program in the United States, Medicaid covers more than 51 million people. In 2002, about one in seven Americans was enrolled in the program. In some reports, it was found out that the federal and state Medicaid expenditures consist of approximately more than $256 billion (Castro, Dunkelberg, and McCown 3). Due to its cost, Medicaid has been categorized as one of the most central budget discussions. Despite the limitations encountered for a range of variables in recent researches, the effects of separating those who enroll in Medicaid from the effects of Medicaid itself can only be relevant if certain factors confounding the impact of insurance status on access and use are controlled. These factors may include socioeconomic characteristics, health status, and local health market conditions. A multivariate framework might be necessary to enhance access to care as well as the use of health-care services in relation to those uninsured.

While the enrollment of Texas Medicaid has grown since 2001, personal health care spending has increased over the recent years, totaling up to over 105.5 billion. In a recent report by HealthPoint, many of those who simply cannot afford coverage tend to come from unissued hardworking families. As such, about 79% percent of the uninsured adults are employed or at least have one family member who is employed (Sommers et al., 96). Regardless, while taxes and other government revenues are the sources of public spending, most of the expenditure resulting from health care is driven towards the private sector. As a result, these benefits or insurance policies associated with public health care spending are comprised of payments for insurers, hospitals, physicians, pharmacists, and other health care providers.

When Medicaid was first established in the mid-1960s, its benefits were only accessed by the recipients of federal/state cash assistance program. Later on, this program was referred to as Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF). Despite the increased support resulting from rising Medicaid caseloads and costs for state TANF or Medicaid policy changes, removing children from Medicaid will not restitute the underlying factors prevalent in the long-term growth of Texas Medicaid costs (Castro, Dunkelberg, and McCown 3). Therefore, for both children and adults, the negative health effects of being uninsured will only result in less likelihood of having annual exams other preventive care.

Which social change is likely to happen in your country in the near future?

For the most part, immunization may serve a significant purpose in improving access to healthcare for those without insurance or those in Medicaid in Bryan, Texas. Immunizing the population is regarded as a cost-effective solution for minimizing the risk of morbidity and mortality, thus protecting them against potential and serious fatal diseases.

Which social change is most needed in your selected country?

Pandemic and all-hazards preparedness is essential in terms of ensuring emergency preparedness and response. According to the U.S. public health system, its main objective is associated with enhancing the nation's ability to detect and respond to various threats resulting from public health such as bioterrorism. Thus, through this implementation, the nation may incorporate new initiatives for the rapid development of biological interventions such as vaccines, to treat various health hazards including highly pathogenic influenza.

Conclusion

Social change may be categorized as a significant factor in life which encompasses growth, both from an individual as well as societal perspective. In today's society, many contemporary social problems tend to occur as a result of a violation of norms, moral and ethics. For most countries, the developmental process of change may require the implementation of various programs based on sufficiently pure attributes of people's daily lives. For instance, in Bryan, Texas, the U.S., a program like Healthy People 2020 can serve a significant purpose in improving access to healthcare by identifying the most relevant preventable threats. Hence, it is through the dynamism of these programs that a society can reflect the extent to which they require a particular social change.

Works Cited

Castro, E. D., Anne Dunkelberg, and F. S. McCown. "The Texas health care primer." Center for Public Policy Priorities (2011).

Sommers, Benjamin D., Robert J. Blendon, and E. John Orav. "Both the 'private option' and traditional Medicaid expansions improved access to care for low-income adults." Health Affairs35.1 (2016).