Introduction
Diverse populations within the United States face dilemmas regarding accessing health insurance. Such an issue is bound to have drastic ramifications that cause adverse health outcomes for individuals and financial burdens for patients and health care institutions. The rise in numbers of uninsured American citizens translates to consequences, such as experiencing delays and getting deprived of accessing critical medical care. To a large extent, uninsured individuals have slim chances of accessing prompt medical care for chronic and life-threatening illnesses. As a result, such individuals tend to seek medical services when their health issues are severe and more advanced.
Further, such populations are less likely to have essential care for life-threatening illnesses, leading to poor health outcomes. In many hospitals, the patients’ lack of medical insurance often prompts increased charges on healthcare services and the frequency of uncompensated care. Many such individuals often end up in emergency departments because they lack health coverage. Such people also lack access to primary care providers, fail to follow up on medical appointments, and face challenges in affording medications. Eventually, such populations exhibit frequent readmission rates within various healthcare organizations.
The target population discussed for this problem in Texas includes the unemployed, the elderly, minors, and the disabled. This paper will subsequently describe the ideas to address the issue and the process of advocacy through legislation.
The Idea for Addressing Solution
Advocacy for populations is the most viable idea to address the healthcare problem. It is critical to advocate for health financial assistance programs meant to reduce the financial burden on the state’s health institutions and individuals. Increased insurance attention efforts will reduce costs associated with healthcare, improve the welfare and patients’ health outcomes, and reduce the morbidity and mortality rates for populations. Such actions will improve access to a variety of medical care that is patient-centered.
The Obamacare act was intended to solve the rifts in health insurance to reduce healthcare coverage in the United States. It led to significant gains concerning health coverage through Medicaid extension among the low-income populations. The Affordable Care Act also provided marketplace subsidies for people below the 400% poverty line (Frenk, Gómez-Dantés, & Knaul, 2019). An array of healthcare programs offers accessible and affordable alternative medical care to populations lacking health insurance coverage.
However, people should be empowered concerning such resources. Moreover, such programs must be easily accessible for such a population. Adopting a designed innovative approach to using social media platforms will increase engagement with several legislators. Resultantly, such an effort will necessitate change towards addressing the lack of healthcare insurance coverage among populations.
Researched Issue
The Expansion of Medical Insurance in the State of New Jersey
Lack of health insurance is a common issue in New Jersey that has affected many individuals. The former governor, Christopher James Christie, was tasked with a proposal to expand Medicaid in the state remarkably. The plan intended to expand medical insurance coverage to thousands, pool financial resources of federal funds, direct them to state health insurance coverage, and ultimately yield healthcare institutions’ savings by minimizing uncompensated care expenses (Frenk et al., 2019).
To date, the Medicaid plan in that state only offers premiums to families that live in abject poverty. Unfortunately, it denies cover to seniors without children. Apart from Obamacare, expanding the Medicaid program intends to yield billions in federal funds. Furthermore, the act was meant to improve medical coverage for 230,000 of the previously uninsured population (New Jersey Senate Democrats, n.d.). Resultantly, increasing medical coverage could reduce up to $320 million of state expenditure for uncompensated medical care as projected by research in public policy organizations.
The State of Texas with the Lowest Health Insurance Rates in the United States
Texas is among the leading states with high uninsured rates across the United States. As claimed by the United States Census Bureau Statistics in 2018, 82.3% was the state of Texas’s health coverage rate, the lowest rate in the U.S (“State-by-State Health Insurance Coverage in 2018,” n.d.). Statistics supporting the claim by Lopez (2019) indicate that over 4.3 million citizens and over 630,000 minors (representing a 1.8 times higher rate than the nation’s standard rate) are uninsured. Additionally, Texas is among the twenty U.S. states that have made no strides in Medicaid program expansion since the Affordable Care Act health system reform law in 2010. Literature indicated that the number of uninsured and low-income individuals reduced by over a half when the policy got enacted (Lopez, 2019). Unfortunately, approximately half of this population had chronic diseases, such as hypertension, diabetes mellitus, and Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD).
Stakeholder Support
Texas Citizens and Healthcare Organizations
The citizens of the state of Texas will support the proposal. Many of the individuals facing the problem are low-income earners or considered poor. For instance, a family of two earning an annual income of below $20130 would belong to 133% of the poverty rate (Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, 2021). Healthcare organizations within the state suffering the ramifications of this issue will also provide their support. Their mobilized support in advocating for the insurance coverage would necessitate such a population to get the appropriate health insurance aid they require. Moreover, the insurance will reduce the rate of uncompensated medical care and hospital stays.
Healthcare Practitioners and the Patient
Another set of stakeholders to support the policy includes healthcare practitioners and patients. The compelling reasons for supporting the proposal are the necessity for the access and delivery of quality health care and adequate medical care cover. Eventually, the patients will receive cost-effective and quality healthcare. Patients with preexisting medical conditions would be readily admitted for healthcare services and quickly contact and interact with specialists and the necessary diagnostic services (Lopez, 2019). The health coverage policy would focus on affordability for individuals with prompts on healthcare administrations to spend over two-thirds of insurance payments on medical maintenances. As a result, patients will have more comprehensive coverage for their health.
Stakeholder Opposition
Citizens with Health Insurance and Small Business Owners
Potentially, stakeholders with health covers and entrepreneurs will oppose the policy proposal. The rise in business taxes and premiums would be the likely reason to resist. Concurrently, the insurance cover would be more affordable for low-income earners, which would make the premiums rise for the already insured citizens, including entrepreneurs. Considering that the premiums would not increase for patients with preexisting conditions, the rest would have their premiums increased depending on their insurance providers. The debate to nullify the opposers’ point of view is based on the idea that without expanding the health insurance coverage, the state will record high but preventable morbidity and mortality rates. Further, such covers will reduce deaths and help curb the populations’ problems, including the lack of access to affordable medical care.
Texas Legislation Including the Incoming Governor and Pertinent Health Insurance
Companies
The legislators within Texas, such as the health insurance companies and the incoming governor, would oppose the policy. Taxes and health insurance premiums would be bound to rise. Despite many insurance organizations providing a more comprehensive range of coverage for illnesses, it would be unrealistic to cover individuals with chronic diseases and the poor without increasing premiums for those already having health insurance. The advocacy would prompt that covers be provided or sold to all regardless of their health statuses or risks. Concerning a rise in taxes for medical expenses, income earners will face higher tax rates to pivot health insurance covers for the uninsured and the poor.
Financial Incentives/Costs
As a supplementary to the ACA, the Medicaid program’s expansion is an effective stimulus. Purportedly, for every $ 100,000 of federal Medicaid funding, two workers received a year of employment (Buchmueller, Cliff, & Levy, 2020). The program could provide health coverage to over 230,000 people, thus, reducing the uninsured rate and minimizing state spending for uncompensated medical care and hospital stays. Providing health coverage to individuals will translate to federal funds increasing remarkably. Healthcare institutions could make a lot of savings from uncompensated care and include it in reinvesting back to patient care and acquiring quality medical equipment, improving healthcare.
Legislature: Information Needed and Process for Proposal
The process of contacting the legislation of Texas will begin by identifying the pertinent arms. It includes the Texas State Constitution, Texas State Senate, and the House of Representatives. Then, it would be imperative to follow the protocol involving sending the proposal to the secretary of Texas’ Senate office, Room 2E.22, Texas State Capitol, 1200 Congress Ave, Austin, TX 78701 (The Texas State Senate, n.d.).
The proposal will then be introduced to the Senate. Advocating through legislation entails scouring scientific data, thus ensuring the proposed bill passes. Such data focuses on the legislators and the community regarding the health problem and potential solutions with actions for enaction. The principal objective is to ensure that the intended message in the proposal captivates the stakeholders’ attention for the bill to pass. Using practical communication necessitates a seamless convincing for the individuals in need, the society, and the pertinent stakeholders. Successful advocacy for the policy could be augmented by establishing sound and professional relationships with various legislators in the Senate and identifying the policy’s needs.
Christian Principles and Nursing Advocacy
From the Christian perspective, serving others in need equates to serving God. Moreover, all people ought to be accorded respect as the creations of God. Galatians 6:9-10, a collection of verses in the Bible, reads, “And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap if we do not give up. So then, as we have an opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith” (Inspire Kindness, n.d.).
By using the Christian principle of serving others, nurses can lend their support to legislative advocacy to ensure all citizens in Texas have medical coverage without bias. Doing good for all as a Christian principle can relate to the nursing code of ethics and justice. Furthermore, participating in legislative advocacy for individuals’ welfare without health insurance ensures inclusiveness in sharing health benefits to all populations without bias.
Furthermore, it improves health outcomes for individuals and enhances nursing practice. Moreover, exercising servant leadership is among the Christian principles. Being a servant leader involves advocating for solutions to a problem that potentially affects the masses. On top of striving to change for the betterment of health outcomes through change, servant leadership includes serving the Lord. Advocacy for this policy change in health coverage will help the uninsured access affordable health care services and treatment opportunities, thus improving their health and welfare.
Conclusion
Texas is among the leading states with the lowest health rates. The unemployed, the elderly, minors, and the disabled constitute the majority of people who have no medical covers. Legislative advocacy for health financial assistance programs and expanding the Medicaid program is the solution. The expected results will reflect the impact of the Medicaid program’s expansion in the State of New Jersey. Some healthcare programs offer free and affordable alternative medical care to populations lacking health insurance coverage.
Texas citizens, healthcare organizations, health workers, and patients will support the advocacy process. The Texas legislation, the incoming governor, the pertinent health insurance companies, small business owners, and individuals with medical covers are likely to oppose the proposed policy. However, the idea has positive health and financial implications for federal and state governments, patients, health organizations, and medical professionals. A debate based on the need to prevent loss of lives, reduce morbidity rates, and provide cost-effective and quality healthcare will convince the opposers.
References
Buchmueller, T. C., Cliff, B. Q., & Levy, H. (2020). The benefits of medical expansion. JAMA Health Forum, 1(7), e200879-e200879.
Center on Budget and Policy Priorities. (2021). Policy basics: Introduction to Medicaid. Web.
Frenk, J., Gómez-Dantés, O., & Knaul, F. M. (2019). A dark day for universal health coverage. The Lancet, 393(10169), 301-303. Web.
Inspire Kindness. (n.d.). Kindness Bible verses | Kindness quotes scriptures. Web.
Lopez, M. (2019). Texas insurance companies—Good faith litigant or litigation chess master? A call to action for the Texas legislature. SSRN Electronic Journal, 1-24. Web.
New Jersey Senate Democrats. (n.d.). Senate resolution advocating for Medicaid expansion approved by the assembly. Web.
State-by-state health insurance coverage in 2018. (n.d.). Web.
The Texas State Senate. (n.d.). Secretary of the Senate Patsy Spaw. Web.