Health Insurance Within the Population of Women and Single Mothers
By: Lindsey Bloomberg
The issue concerning the population of women and mothers within the United States receiving health care and medical needs is an ongoing barrier within our society. From gender inequalities, to single mothers whose salaries meet standards of poverty and women lacking inadequate care has remained problematic. Demographics such as race, socio economic status, education, single-mothers and the elderly reflect the broad span of rising issues, associated within the realm of health care risks.
According to findings from the U.S News and World Report, a health insurance survey held by The Common Wealth Fund in 2007 discovered 7 out of 10 women who are either uninsured, under-insured, and/or can’t meet costs of medical bills. A major factor concerns gender equality, differences in salary and the number of woman deprived of certain jobs due to the fact that they are single mothers. The study reflects this gap with data that proves an overall 52% of women (over half the population) lack adequate health insurance compared to 30% of men also enduring the issue. Another valid concern is this recent data does not represent the population during this economic recession, where the statistics have fallen even lower. Data shows that those with incomes of $60,000 per year are unable to meet health care costs and the rate of poverty among unemployed single mothers consumes 28.3% of the U.S population (according to the Institute for Women Policy of Research).
This data equates to 64 million women just within the United States. It’s amazing to take into perspective that the richest country in the world still lacks the ability to supply sufficient access to medical needs. How is it that Americans are denied these basic needs, considering world wide poverty within countries who do not have access to medical care.
Factors that might improve the health care condition within the U.S suggest changes such as equal salaries among genders, improving training and education for women, subsidized health care and benefits (being paid for taking care of children when ill, flexibility being paid while on leave within the work place, etc)
Questions to Consider:
• Within this economic relapse what are the chances of the issues among health care improving; considering companies have cut budgets and increasing numbers of the population are being laid off?
• How does the increase of stress related to unemployment and difficult economic times negatively impact people’s health and wellness?
• While salary equality has been a long, ongoing socio-economic issue, when and how will women’s rights become adequately addressed? What are the chances of establishing law enforcements for equal gender pay?
• What are President Obama’s plans to address health care?
• During this current baby boom, how will the population of single mothers in poverty reduce? Or how will the population of single mothers with sufficient jobs improve?
• What other changes within the government could improve the state of this issue and status of those suffering medical costs?
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The point pertaining to the increase of stress during these rough times, and how that may affect individual’s health, is very interesting to think about. A lot of families are suffering due to the economy, and some who may have lost their jobs, possibly do not have health care coverage. This, among the financial stress of keeping up an everyday household may contribute to health problems related to stress. Therefore, if the individual does not have health insurance, they may not be able to seek the adequate health care when the issue first begins, causing a prolonged issue that may end up worse if it had been treated. Another interesting point is that the families, who most likely need medical help, may not have health insurance. If a family is out on the streets, or not ingesting the adequate nutrition, they are more apt to needing medical attention, but if they have no health insurance, makes it nearly impossible.
ReplyDelete-Lauren
I'm glad, you commented on this -
ReplyDeleteThose with the least medical coverage are likely to have the highest stress rates due to: poor nutrition, unsanitary living conditions, lack of sleep, and inability to be treated, which can start the root of unaddressed prolonged issues.
Even families with some medical coverage have denied going to the doctor or pic king up prescriptions due to high co-pays and fees, which can potentially mask illnesses which that develop over time, in which should have been detected earlier..
-Lindsey