Uninsured and Underinsured Youth Issues

Uninsured and Underinsured Youth Issues Adolescents (includes young adults) populate the most likely group of individuals to be uninsured or underinsured in the U.S. The lack of and underinsurance coverage can adversely affect the health of the children as they are less likely to receive preventive health/medical care. As health insurance serves as a vital tool that proffers youth access to crucial health services, therefore this study will identify/describe issues relating to issues affecting uninsured and underinsured youth.

The proposed qualitative study, which utilized the phenomenological research design will identify/describe issues relating to uninsured and underinsured youth in the U.S. During the course of the proposed study, as the researcher identifies/describes issues the uninsured and underinsured youth have to contend with, the unique and/or minority voices of a number of these youth will be proclaimed through accounts by professionals who care for them.

ABSTRACT ii iv INTRODUCTION 1 Statement of the Problem LITERATURE REVIEW 3 METHODOLOGY 5 Qualitative Research Methods 5 5 Phenomenological Design Data Collection Method Data Analysis CONCLUSION 7 REFERENCES 8 CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION Forgotten People and Hidden Costs Early intervention and preventive care of health problems and medical issues youth experience possesses the potential to improve adolescents' physical and mental health, as well as reduce death and illness in youth.

Amidst contemporary, challenging rising costs for medical services, however, some Americans at times feel forced to choose whether to secure nonemergency medical care for the youth in their family or spend money on food; clothing; shelter; etc. In turn, a number of the youth's health needs/issues may go undiagnosed and untreated. In time, that lack of attention to potential problems/illnesses may adversely affect the youth's long-term health ("Health policy reform beyond," 2008).

As numerous adolescent health problems prove to be serious, costly, and widespread, including sexually transmitted infections, unintended pregnancy, and substance use, potentially preventable problems, prevention and primary care services constitute particularly critical issues for adolescents. In "The uninsured: A forgotten population," C. Galambos (2005) relates a number of issues that evolve when a member of America's "forgotten population," no matter his/her age does not have health insurance. Consequences include the uninsured not receiving regular routine medical care, and frequently utilizing emergency services for treatment.

In fact, uninsured individuals will four times more likely use the Emergency Room (E.R.) as a regular source of medical care than individuals with insurance. The practice of not securing routine medical treatment outside the E.R. proves costly in monetary and medical terms. When the country's youth, however, who do not receive regular medical care, costs not only occur at the present time, but may also lead to costly future consequences.

In response to a number of concerns and challenges relating to this contemporary concern, the researcher proposes to explore this area of interest and identify/describe particular, pertinent issues relating to uninsured and underinsured youth who live in the United States (U.S.). Statement of the Problem Josephine Ensign (2004), who, explores youth related insurance concerns in "Quality of health care: the views of homeless youth," reports that adolescents (includes young adults) populate the most likely group of individuals to be uninsured or underinsured in the U.S.

The lack of and underinsurance coverage can adversely affect the health of the children as they are less likely to receive preventive health/medical care. As health insurance serves as a vital tool that proffers youth access to crucial health services, therefore this study will identify/describe issues relating to issues affecting uninsured and underinsured youth. Research Questions For any investigation, according M. Dereshiwsky (1999) in "Electronic Textbook - Let Us Count the Ways: Strategies for Doing Qualitative Research," the research question(s) constitute the study's heart and soul.

The following research questions, the heart and soul of the proposed study, will also help ensure the researcher's focus remains intact during the process. Considerations regarding this study include: What attitudes, beliefs, policy considerations currently contribute to the issues relating to uninsured and underinsured youth? What issues evolve from youth being uninsured and underinsured? What practices and/or actions could reduce the number of uninsured and underinsured youth in the U.S.

Figure 1 depicts a continuum in terms which note the extent of researcher's knowledge regarding the phenomenon being identified/described during the study. During this stage of the proposed study, the researcher is at the beginning of the exploratory stage. Figure 1: Researcher's Knowledge Stage (adapted from Dereshiwsky, 1999, Design.. section) With the approval of this proposal, the researcher plans to begin more work into the explanatory phase of this study. CHAPTER 2 LITERATURE REVIEW Contemporary literature, L.

Raiz (2006) points out in "Health Care Poverty," due to different definitions and measurements, underinsurance, similar to uninsurance, proves challenging, as it can be an insurmountable obstacle for countless individuals in the U.S. Being underinsured, Raiz contends could be considered health care poverty. Rather than simply being insured or uninsured template, it is more far reaching, and if not countered with positive measures, the health care poverty of youth will expand and envelop even more victims.

Along with exhibiting poor patterns of preventive primary health care, Ensign (2004) notes, adolescents traditionally experience unique barriers to access of appropriate health care. Barriers adolescents face include confusion regarding legally consent for own care, the adolescent's concerns over confidentiality of care, conflicting office hours, along with uneasiness with conventional adult-oriented health care settings. Out of all the age groups in the U.S., as noted at this proposal's start, adolescents (includes young adults) populate the most likely individuals to be uninsured or underinsured.

In "Health Insurance for Children: Analysis and Recommendations. The Future of Children," E.M. Lewit, C. Bennett, and R.E.Behrman (2003) confirm the need for additional outreach efforts to increase youth participation in Medicaid and SCHIP. "The public investment in children's health insurance reflects both a national commitment to protect children's health and the social value that Americans place on children's well-being" Lewit, Bennett & Behrman, ¶ 3).

Although a number of factors in youth's physical and social environments influence their health/well-being, health insurance serves as a vital tool that proffers youth access to crucial health services. States need to closely monitor the programs responsible for providing insurance, Lewit, Bennett, an Behrman stress, as well as, whether or not they meet adolescents' medical/insurance needs. According to a. Weil, a. (2007) in "A health plan to reduce poverty.

The future of children," even though approximately all children in families with incomes under 200% of poverty qualify for Medicaid or the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP), the parents of poor children frequently do not have health insurance. After parents leave welfare, they usually receive year of coverage, however they lose this coverage unless their employer provides it. Many employers of low wage workers, albeit do not offer health insurance.

The lack of coverage of parents, may also adversely affect the health of the children as adults without health insurance may be less likely to ensure their children receive preventive health/medical care. CHAPTER 3 METHODOLOGY Qualitative Research Methods Researchers may choose from five different qualitative research designs qualitative studies, Leedy and Ormrod (2005) report. Available options include: (a) Case study, b) Ethnography, - Phenomenological study, (d) Grounded theory study, and (e) Content analysis. For the proposed study, the researcher prefers to utilize the phenomenological study methodology.

Phenomenological Design In "A phenomenological research design illustrated," T. Groenewald (2004) condenses the core principles that construct the phenomenological research design. "The operative word in phenomenological research is 'describe'," Groenewald (p. 5) stresses. Consequently, the primary aim of the researcher for the proposed study will be to accurately describe the phenomenon, while abstaining from any pre-specified framework, albeit remaining true to the facts.

In the following paragraph, Groenewald (2004) relates the following profound explanation of Van den Berg, which Van Manen translated: Phenomena] have something to say to us - this is common knowledge among poets and painters. Therefore, poets and painters are born phenomenologists. Or rather, we are all born phenomenologists; the poets and painters among us, however, understand very well their task of sharing, by means of word and image, their insights with others - an artfulness that is also laboriously practised by the professional phenomenologist.

(Van den Berg [translated by Van Manen], as cited in Groenewald, 2004, p. 5) In regard to the sampling in qualitative research, the researcher plans to obtain information from expert informants (purposive samples). The sampling, who to include in the researcher's proposed study, as "Qualitative research: Approaches, methods, and rigour" (2008) directs, will be broad. The sampling will be determined at the time the researcher obtains a thorough understanding (saturation) of the proposed study's focus. At that time, the researcher will also describe the study's limitations.

The context of the sample will include professionals who routinely work with underinsured and/or uninsured youth. The following list denotes five various types of samples researchers regularly utilize in Qualitative Research: Typical case - Most ordinary, usual cases Deviant case - Most extreme cases Critical case - Predicted to be information rich Maximum variation Theoretical - of whom researcher predicts will add new perspectives.

("Qualitative research...," 2008, Sampling Issues section) Groenwald (2004) also stresses that in regard to the phenomenon the researcher identifies/describes, the unique or minority voices serve as vital counterpoints to relate. Data Collection Method To complement the proposed study's literature review, the researcher plans to interview a minimum of 10 professional individuals who regularly work with underinsured and/or uninsured youth.

The researcher notes three types of interviews" a) the unstructured interview, which constitutes a formal, conversational interview without any predetermined questions; (b) the structured interview, where the interviewer utilizes a series of pre-established questions in the same order to obtain information from those he/she interviews; - the semi-structured interview, where the interviewer.