Posted on 220,124 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?

220,124 thoughts on “Important Determinants of Health”

  2. If you own a smart TV and want to enjoy the thrill of nfl.com/activate games right on your TV screen, activating the NFL app is the way to go. By following a simple activation process using an activation code, you can unlock access to a wide range of NFL content on your smart TV. In this section, we will guide you through the steps to activate the NFL app on your smart TV using the activation code. Let’s get started!

    https://www.tvlinkcode.com/activate-nfl-on-roku-samsung-sony-vizio-and-apple-tv/

    Reply

  8. We are a leading app development company based in India. We offer complete customized app development solutions for all your business requirements. Our team of expert designers, developers, and project coordinators hold industry expertise of more than 10 years. The average App development cost in India We are a leading app development company based in India. We offer complete customized app development solutions for all your business requirements. Our team of expert designers, developers, and project coordinators hold industry expertise of more than 10 years. The average

    Reply

  10. I would ally just simply helpful coupled with genuine truth of the matter, and as such fully grasp it has the: asialive88

    Reply

  23. E Web Design Service’s SEO services have been exceptional in boosting my website’s traffic and ranking. Their team’s expertise in on-page optimization and content strategies have yielded fantastic results. I highly recommend their services to anyone looking to improve their online visibility and performance affordable seo services

    Reply

  30. Amazing article. Your blog is filled with unique good articles! i was very impressed read articles. thank you for admin share your thoughts.
    Visit Now :- Moldavite Jewelry

    Reply

  32. Needed to compose you a tiny note to finally thank you very much yet again for your personal splendid methods you have discussed above. It is strangely open-handed with people like you to provide publicly all that a number of people would have marketed as an electronic book to generate some bucks for their own end, primarily now that you could possibly have tried it if you ever wanted. These inspiring ideas likewise acted like a fantastic way to know that the rest have the same dreams really like my personal own to see a whole lot more concerning this problem. I’m sure there are thousands of more enjoyable times in the future for many who check out your blog. Bosch 7kg Front Load Washing Machine WAK20200GC

    Reply

  36. Hello My Name Is Lesa Nancy. The Outlook Error 0x80040600 occurs when you try to send or receive an email message in Outlook. This error is often caused by a corrupted PST file. top 8 outlook errors and ways to fix them. The Error Code 80070422 in Outlook is related to updating. It is thrown during update checks or installations. The main cause for this error is that the main Windows Updates service is not running on the device, and does not start when it is required. You can repair Windows Update by running the Windows Update Troubleshooter in Settings.

    Reply

  45. Informative Post. Thanks for sharing. SevenMentor is one of the best institutes for Data Science Training in Pune. If you are looking for the Best Data Science Courses in Pune then here is the right place for you.

    Reply

  48. Your blog provided us with valuable information to work with. Each & every tips of your post are awesome. Thanks a lot for sharing. Keep blogging..
    Disneyplus.com begin

    Reply

Leave a Reply

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