Access to Healthcare: For the Last Two

Access to Healthcare:

For the last two decades, access to healthcare is an issue that has played a crucial role in leading the charge for health care reforms. Access to quality and comprehensive health care services is a crucial aspect for the realization of health equity and for enhancing the quality of health for every individual. Generally, the access to these services means the timely use of individual health services in order to accomplish the best health outcomes ("Access to Health Services," 2012). The achievement of the best health outcomes to access to personal health services requires three major steps i.e. gaining entry into the health care system, identifying a trustworthy health care provider, and accessing the services where they are needed.

Components of Access to Healthcare:

Access to personal health care services incorporates four major components i.e. coverage, workforce, timeliness, and services. Health care coverage is mainly provided through insurance that assist patients to get entry into the health care system. As a result, uninsured people are likely to have poor health status and die early because they are less likely to receive medical care. The lack of enough coverage makes it difficult for patients to access the health care they need, the time for receiving the care, and burdens them with huge medical bills. In relation to services, the improvement of health care is dependent on ensuring that people have standard and continual source of care.

The timeliness of the health care system in ensuring access to health care services is the ability to provide the services rapidly after a need is recognized. The lack of timeliness is a significant barrier to care because it contributes to delays and difficulties, which in turn lessen patient satisfaction. Under workforce, primary care providers play a significant role in the overall health of the communities they serve.

Issues in Access to Healthcare:

The United States health care system has faced huge challenges with access to care services to an extent that it's considered as unreliable. This is primarily because many people in America do not receive the suitable and timely care they require. While this system is already strained, it's projected that it will face an influx of patients by 2014 since 32 million Americans will have health insurance for the first time. The difficulties in access to healthcare are despite of the fact that Americans are entitled to access cost-effective, high-quality, and safe care that is delivered in a timely and appropriate manner.

Access to healthcare in the United States health care system is declining as it's extremely difficult for many residents across the country to obtain care services ("Access to Health Care," n.d.). There is need for rapid action to improve healthcare access because limited entry into the health care system affects the quality of life for many people living and working in the United States. Some of the major factors that show that there is limited access to health care include many physicians can no longer afford to treat Medicaid and Medicare patients, overcrowding in hospital emergency rooms with uninsured patients, and increased difficulty for patients to find a physician.

Limits to access to care services is attributed to several issues that have combined together to place huge burdens on the health care system. While the demand and costs for care services is steadily increasing, the ability to cater for health care has not equaled the demand. As a result, the United States is health care system is overburdened as numerous patients cannot receive adequate care.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau Report, it's estimated that 49 million Americans did not have healthcare coverage in 2011 ("Access to Affordable Healthcare," 2012). The enactment of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act is expected to improve coverage options. However, the Supreme Court's decision that Medicaid extension is a state option will probably lessen the number of newly covered individuals. Moreover, the problem of access to affordable care will be increased by limited community-based resources that offer preventive services, primary care, and continual care for patients with chronic illnesses.

The other factors that contribute to limited access to healthcare include the underfunded public programs and overcrowded emergency rooms. For most physicians, the costs of care services are not fully covered by Medicaid and Medicare fees because the public programs are underfunded. Secondly, excessive paperwork to serve patients in the current health care system increases costs, which in turn limits access to healthcare. Third, expensive liability insurance contributes to numerous difficulties for patients to stay in practice, which further decreases patient access to quality healthcare. Fourth, the dramatic increase in health insurance premiums and health care costs has contributed to the steady growth in the number of uninsured and limited access to care services ("Access to Health Care," n.d.). The final reason for the limited access is that the costs of prescription drugs have more than doubled in the past few years. Since access to healthcare is a major issue in the health care system, there is need for systemic changes that can various forms in order to address the issue (Feinson, 2004). Currently, several legislations are being enacted in various jurisdictions to implement health plans that extend benefits, enhance quality, and establish administrative controls to lessen costs.