The Challenge
The identified challenge is concerned with the limited access to preventive care services. According to a survey, only 8% of respondents get preventative care for their conditions, lowering health outcomes (Lehman, 2018). Because of this, the healthcare sphere has an inadequate capacity to improve health management at early disease stages (Rotarou & Sakellariou, 2018 ). The main factors that contribute to the challenge include the lack of health insurance, limited access to transportation, remote geographic location, race and ethnicity, as well as other social determinants of health (Heath, 2020).
Historical Evolution of the Challenge
Historically, the concept of preventive care evolved due to healthcare advancements moving in the direction of the understanding and prevention of diseases. However, there has been relative consistency in the lack of access to preventive care based on socioeconomic status (Becker, 1988). Among developed countries, persistent inequalities among populations existed in the US, UK, and Europe (Gibbons, 2005). Because minorities had lower levels of education and work opportunities, they did not have access to preventive care.
Consequences
Because the social determinants of health define the challenge, the main consequence is that citizens of lower socioeconomic status are less likely to access preventive care (Heath, 2020). The lack of preventive care results in increased lengths of hospitalizations and overall poor health. Besides, the quality of maternal health and related health outcomes reduces among socioeconomically disadvantaged individuals compared to wealthier white counterparts (National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, 2018). Besides, policymakers do not acknowledge the need for addressing care access disparities.
Factors Reducing the Challenge
There are several factors that can help reduce the adverse impact of the identified challenges. The strategic priority is to eliminate or lower the limitations preventing populations from having equal access to preventive services. It is essential to facilitate collaboration with economic and social sectors as a way to reduce the influence of social determinants of health (Baciu, 2017). Besides, both the increased knowledge development and transmission and consistent care protocols for providing access are necessary (Luy et al., 2017). Initially, initiatives can be on a lower scale and evolve to become larger and capture larger population numbers (CDC, 2008).
Policies
The move in the direction of Medicare For All is expected to create a new system of healthcare to cover all populations of the country. Compared to the existing Medicare initiative, which targets patients aged 65 and older, Medicare For All can address the healthcare needs of everyone living in the US, covering various services such as dental care, treatments, and prescription medication (Katch & van de Water, 2020). However, there are risks that come with the policy, specifically, issues with care quality as related to providers’ accountability and low responsibility of patients.
Summary and Conclusion
Without preventive healthcare services, it is challenging to preserve good population health. Healthcare facilities have to address health emergencies, which is complicated when individuals do not get preventive care in time. Because of this, it is necessary to carry out structural and multi-level solutions to lower the impact of socioeconomic factors. Besides, such initiatives as Medicare for All can provide the same level of care for the entire population. However, the challenge persists because there is no consistency in the policies governments introduce to deal with the issue.
References
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