Civil Rights and Health Care Essay

This essay sets to present information related to the current health care reform and civil rights by discussing the various health care policies related to access, equity and cost, my feelings regarding the current health care policies, the meaning of health care reform to both the uninsured and underinsured, the existing implications of the limited access of health care to vulnerable populations and how nursing can help in increasing the awareness about civil rights in health care. Civil Rights and Health Care Essay.

Health Care Policies Related to Access, Equity, Quality and Cost

Health care policies can be defined as the different strategies, decisions, and actions that stakeholders within the healthcare system tend to formulate and implement in the effort of attained specific desired outcomes within the health care system (Scott, 2017). Health care policies aimed at transforming health care delivery at the local, federal, and national level. Those policies that are increasingly associated with the adequate access to care can be described as those policies that focus on reducing or eliminating the different barriers that are commonly faced by the patients in their effort of seeking or acquiring health care services (Scott, 2017). The primary hurdle that the patients tend to face in their attempt of accessing medical care is high costs of medicine which they cannot manage to meet due to their week financial status (Scott, 2017)..

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Moreover, policies that are related the equity aspect in health care increasingly focus on fighting for equal treatment of the patients by putting into place guidelines and legal obligations that help in ensuring that all patients receive care in an environment that is free of bias and discrimination (Schäfer et al., 2011). Civil Rights and Health Care Essay. Policies that are concerned with the quality of care helps in ensuring that patients receive quality rather than quantity care from the care providers since high-quality care helps in improving the health conditions of the patients and prevents cases of patient readmission in the care setting (Schäfer et al., 2011).

On the other hand, policies related costs aim at ensuring that patients belonging to the low-income households can benefit from the incentives provided through government health care programs such as Medicaid, Medicare, and Children Health Insurance Program (Schäfer et al., 2011). Majority of the health care policies focus on increasing the accessibility of health care services to the citizens, especially those that are vulnerable in the society such as the children, the aged, and the minority groups.

My Feelings about Current Health Care Policies

I highly believe that there is currently a substantial amount of health care policies that are existing in the United States as supported by the presence of government initiatives such as Medicaid and Medicare that are extended by the national government to the citizens. However, despite the presence of these care policies, there is an increased need of putting place more effective programs that will help the ever-evolving patient care needs that the current programs are unable to meet satisfactorily. Civil Rights and Health Care Essay.

Health Care Reform to the Uninsured and Underinsured

Health care reforms are an integral and crucial consideration for the existing uninsured and underinsured individuals in the country (Levine & Mulligan, 2015). The health care reforms have actively been involved in supporting the uninsured patients in the country through ensuring that the existing insurance companies have provided payment plans at relatively lower prices that are affordable by the patients from low-income countries (Levine & Mulligan, 2015). Civil Rights and Health Care Essay.

Thus, to uninsured individuals, the health care reforms refer to a strategy of enhancing the accessibility of care services by eliminating financial barriers related to costs (Schoen et al., 2011). Moreover, the health care reforms in the United States have significantly enabled the underinsured individuals to manage to easily buy for themselves insurance coverage at relatively lower costs which were not previously possible for them due to lack of support from both the government and their employers (Schoen et al., 2011). Both the uninsured and underinsured are now able to access high-quality care as a result of the establishment and implementation of these health care reforms.

The implication of Limited Access to Vulnerable Populations

Evidence-based survey shows that most of the vulnerable populations in the society are at the highest risk of failing to have adequate access to health care services in the community when compared to other individuals who do not fall under this category (Hankivsky, 2012). One of the primary reasons as to why vulnerable populations are increasingly exposed to numerous health care risks includes their lack of access to insurance coverage plans that can help in reducing the financial burden involved in getting care services within a hospital setting (Hankivsky, 2012). Civil Rights and Health Care Essay. The second key factor that has significant implications on the health status of vulnerable populations is their continued exposure to workplace conditions that fail to observe proper sanitary protocols that have been put into place (Levesque, Harris & Russell, 2013). Another factor that is disadvantageous to the vulnerable populations is the limited ability of this group of people to have sufficient access to health care information such as the need for immunization against a particular outbreak or infectious disease (Levesque, Harris & Russell, 2013). An excellent way to reduce the vulnerability of these individuals is through bringing quality care services closer to them and making policies that promote their health status (Levesque, Harris & Russell, 2013).

Role of Nursing in Increasing Awareness of the Civil Rights in Health Care

Reduction of disparities within any health care system can be best achieved through incorporating the nursing practice (Reutter & Kushner, 2010). One of the best ways in which nursing can help in increasing the civil rights of the key stakeholders in the health care is through diversification of the existing nursing workforce as this helps in facilitating the fair presentation of both minority and majority groups in the country (Mason et al., 2016). (Reutter & Kushner, 2010). A diversified nursing workforce is essential in ensuring that equality is maintained in the health care system which has in the past three centuries being affected by numerous incidents of discrimination and inequalities (Reutter & Kushner, 2010. Moreover, a right way of enhancing the ability of vulnerable individuals to overcome the barriers that tend to hinder them from accessing high-quality care is through encouraging cultural competency among the existing medical providers (Mason et al., 2016). Civil Rights and Health Care Essay.

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Humphrey’s Speech on Civil Rights

As demonstrated by Senator Hubert Humphrey in his speech on civil rights, there exists numerous disparity in the delivery of care to the patients (Stears & Humphrey, 2012). Some of the health disparities stated by Hubert in his speech and which persist even today include discrimination of the minority groups, especially the people of color by their Whites in the country. That is the case especially when it comes to receiving care whereby the Whites who are the majority in the country are given better treatment when compared to the minority groups in the country (Stears & Humphrey, 2012). Moreover, low ethical standards are practiced within the health care settings by the White people which has resulted to most of the individuals belonging in the minority group receive poor treatment (Stears & Humphrey, 2012). Humphrey further suggests that it’s only through healthcare reforms that the civil rights of the patients in the country can be enhanced.

Conclusion

Conclusively, formulation and implementation of health care policies help in facilitating universal coverage of healthcare in the society, country, and around the globe. Vulnerable populations such as the children, the elderly, and minority groups in the community are at an increased risk of facing health care problem. However, these health risks can be eradicated through implementing appropriate health care reforms that help in increasing the accessibility of care services to these individuals at a relatively lower price. Diversification of the nursing workforce is another effective strategy of further reducing health care disparity in the country. Civil Rights and Health Care Essay.