Policy action bulletin
Poverty and Health
Low income families face challenges in accessing the health care due to barriers such as lack of insurance coverage and unaffordable costs to quality health care. Poverty is the major issue that is hindering the poor families to access care since lack of finance hinders them to porches quality food as well as care (Silverman, 2013). Poor families also lack information based on health-promoting practices and they end up suffering from chronic illnesses and poverty. Note that poverty increases the vulnerability to stress and uncertainties and this leads to high level of health risks. This being an issue of concern, the policy action is that the government should offer support to the poor families and establish a strong health care system where the families access quality health care (Silverman, 2013).
Policy action questions
What should be done to eliminate poverty and ensure access to quality health care?
To eliminate poverty, there should be creation of jobs to help the unemployed poor families enter in the labor force. This will create an economy security and eliminate both long-term and short-term challenges which the poor families experience. There should be an expansion of Medicaid to allow the poor families to access quality health care. The Medicaid will aid them in paying medical bills; reduce financial strains and bankruptcy (Bogenschneider & Corbett, 2010).
Who will be responsible in ensuring equal access to quality health care?
The government has a bigger role in poverty and health care sector since it is expected to control and regulate spending by creating a fundamental policy reforms on health care market and health insurance. The government should also encourage the need to create community development programs to educate the poor families on health and well-being. The programs should be also designed to eliminate discrimination and inequality and strengthen the opportunities and equal access to public services (Bogenschneider & Corbett, 2010).
Who else apart from the government should take actions in addressing these challenges and which specific actions should be implemented?
The World Bank should offer financial protection to ensure equal access to health care. The financial protection will play a big role in eliminating poverty and vulnerability to health care risks. The World Bank should join hand with the government to establishing programs that will work to expand health insurance, increase efficiency, reduce inequalities and expand access (Eshleman & Bulcroft, 2010).
References
Bogenschneider, K., & Corbett, T. J. (2010). Family policy: Becoming a field of inquiry and subfield of
social policy. Journal of Marriage & Family, 72(3), 783–803.
Eshleman, J. R., & Bulcroft, R. A. (2010). The family (Family Social Policy). ((12th ed.). Boston, MA: Allyn
& Bacon.
Silverman, R. D. (2013). Poverty, Health, and Law: Readings and Cases for Medical–Legal
Partnership. Journal Of Legal Medicine, 34(3), 327-336. doi:10.1080/01947648.2013.831305
