Discuss how access to health services is a determinant of health

Question

What will be an ideal response?

Answer 1

Answer: In countries with a national health service, health insurance status does not usually affect access to quality care. In the United States, health insurance status directly affects access to health services. People who lack adequate health insurance are less likely to have a regular doctor or place of care. They are also less likely to receive a wide range of health services, including preventive care, and more likely to delay medical treatment. Many uninsured wait until a condition has advanced to a crisis stage before visiting a local hospital emergency room–a habit that greatly increases the level of care required as well as the cost and outcome of that care. Supporting the understanding that access to quality care is a key determinant of health, studies have found that while higher-income Caucasians have enjoyed a wide range of health gains, these improvements have not been shared by lower-income Caucasians and ethnic minorities. In part to address this disparity, in 2010 the U.S. Congress passed into law a set of comprehensive new health-care reforms. Called the Affordable Care Act, the legislation aims to substantially reduce the number of Americans who do not have health insurance.