Posted on 209,052 Comments on Important Determinants of Health

Important Determinants of Health →

As local communities continue to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic, understanding the population and resource availability becomes increasingly important. Accessibility and affordability of healthcare are crucial during these times, as the virus does not discriminate against whom it affects. While the pandemic has caused changes in everyone’s lives, individuals without health insurance, access to transportation, and access to mental health services are a part of the population that is being particularly negatively affected.

To focus on the specific challenges faced by a local community during this pandemic, this blog will focus on the Albany, New York area and its population (1).

Health Insurance

In the U.S., there are over 28 million uninsured individuals (2). It can be incredibly expensive to try and afford basic care without health insurance, and patients without health insurance are limited in the providers they can see and make appointments with. Uninsured people are therefore far less likely to get medical care, which means they are not receiving yearly checkups and don’t have access to preventative measures, such as cancer screenings or blood pressure tests. In many cases, medical care is only sought in emergencies.

While the uninsured rate in New York has decreased in recent years, there are few options for those that are uninsured in Albany. One of these options is Surya Immediate Medical Care– while not currently accepting any ill patients due to the pandemic, the center accepts patients without insurance and allows self-payments. A new visit costs $150, while an established visit costs $100. Charges for additional services like strep tests and x-rays are listed on their website. For dental health, Aspen Dental in Albany is a practice that provides free exams and x-rays on the first visit, without insurance.

Access to Transportation

Being able to make an appointment is one thing, but actually getting to the doctor’s office is another– access to transportation is something that can often prevent patients from receiving the healthcare they need. One of the COVID-19 testing sites in Albany is at SUNY Albany. However, to be tested, individuals need transportation to the testing site and must be in a vehicle when they are being tested. Some resources that provide transportation include UberHealth, Medanswering services for individuals with Medicaid, and CDTA transit for Albany county resident seniors over the age of 60.

More recently, some mobile testing sites have become available and are listed here, which can allow some individuals to have access to testing without needing transportation, depending on where they live.

Mental Health Services

Mental health is an equally large component and contributor to overall health and wellbeing as physical health. With the COVID-19 pandemic, many individuals are experiencing loneliness, anxiety, and other mental health issues as daily lifestyles have changed due to quarantine and social interaction is limited. To try and support individuals at home, some hotlines have become available 24/7 or throughout the week to provide help. A COVID-19 support line is available at (518) 269-6634, from 8 am to 8 pm every day. Additional hotlines and mental health resources in Albany are listed here.

While the Albany area has begun to respond to changes in healthcare availability and accessibility due to the pandemic, there are still some areas that can be improved upon, such as increased access to basic care and preventative services for people who are uninsured. Additionally, access to health insurance, transportation, and mental health services are only a few of the determinants of health and wellbeing– what do you think your local community can improve upon when it comes to the health of its population?

209,052 thoughts on “Important Determinants of Health”

  3. The author highlights the importance of access to health insurance, transportation, and mental health services for the population’s health and wellbeing. I agree with the author that there are still some areas that can be improved upon in Albany. These areas include increased access to basic care and preventative services for uninsured people. I think it’s critical to talk about health and wellbeing determinants in our local communities. These determinants can have a significant impact on people’s lives. We need to ensure everyone has access to healthy resources.

    Reply

  4. Our highly skilled therapists are trained in the art of body to body massage spa near me, ensuring a blissful experience that will leave you feeling refreshed and revitalized, so come to our center for a best experience

    Reply

  8. I think this is one of the most significant info for me. And i am glad reading your article.But wanna remark on some general things, The web site style.is wonderful, the articles is really nice : D. Good job, cheers.I read this paragraph fully about the comparison of latest and previous technologies, 토토

    Reply

  9. I read this article very well. I will visit you often in the future. Thank you, my friend. I hope everything goes well주소

    Reply

  10. I’m really impressed with your writing skills as well as with the layout on your blog. Is this a paid theme or did you customize it yourself? Either way keep up the nice quality writing, it is rare to see a great blog like this one nowadays.. GLUCOTRUST REVIEWS

    Reply

  11. دانلود تلگرام

    تلگرام فیلترگرام یکی دیگر از اپ های غیر رسمی، پیشرفته، بدون مشکل حذف و اتصال تلگرام اصلی می باشد. این پیام رسان توسط گروه FilterGram برای سیستم عامل اندروید

    Reply

  13. Get the best treatment from the doctors of the best heart care hospital. Even check more facilities from the given link to get information about the best heart care in Kurukshetra
    Shri balaji aarogyam Hospital

    Reply

  14. Outlook not receiving emails for several reasons, including incorrect account settings, a full mailbox, server issues, or email filters. To resolve this issue, verify that your account settings, such as your incoming and outgoing server information, are correct. Next, clear some mailbox space by deleting old or unnecessary emails and emptying the “Deleted Items” folder. Also, check with your email provider for any server downtime or maintenance affecting email delivery. Lastly, review your email filter settings.
    outlook not receiving emails

    Reply

  19. دانلود موبوگرام

    تلگرام فیلترگرام یکی دیگر از اپ های غیر رسمی، پیشرفته، بدون مشکل حذف و اتصال تلگرام اصلی می باشد. این پیام رسان توسط گروه FilterGram برای سیستم عامل اندروید

    Reply

  24. This web-site is actually a walk-through rather than the info you desired concerning this and didn’t know who to inquire about. Glimpse here, and you’ll absolutely discover it. 꽁머니사이트

    Reply

  26. The author is energetic about acquiring wooden furniture on the web and his investigation about best wooden furniture has realized the plan of this article. I’m eager to reveal this page. I have to thank you for ones time for this especially awesome read!! I unquestionably extremely enjoyed all aspects of it and I likewise have you spared to fav to take a gander at new data in your site. 모두의토토검증업체

    Reply

  33. It’s really a great and helpful piece of information. I’m glad that you just shared this helpful information with us. Please stay us informed like this.
    토토사이트

    Reply

  36. This website and I conceive this internet site is really informative ! Keep on putting up!

    토토

    Reply

  38. This particular is usually apparently essential and moreover outstanding truth along with for sure fair-minded and moreover admittedly useful My business is looking to find in advance designed for this specific useful stuffs… daftar slot

    Reply

  40. Thanks for sharing this blog. Very informative

    Reply

  41. ابزار

    کاملترین مجموعه ابزار آلات, ابزار اندازه گیری, ابزار بادی و بنزینی, ابزار برقی و شارژی, ابزار دستی, الکتریک و روشنایی, لوازم جانبی و…

    Reply

  45. It functions as a digital wallet, enabling users to transfer and receive Ethereum-based metamask not connecting tokens and store and manage their tokens.
    metamask not connecting

    Reply

  48. ابزار

    کاملترین مجموعه ابزار آلات, ابزار اندازه گیری, ابزار بادی و بنزینی, ابزار برقی و شارژی, ابزار دستی, الکتریک و روشنایی, لوازم جانبی و…

    Reply

  50. A new window will open after you click “Change password,” asking you to input your current password as well as the new password you want to choose
    metamask stuck

    Reply

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *