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?

138,936 thoughts on “Important Determinants of Health

  1. Top BSchool Admission provide consulting services and offer advice on how to gain straight admission to the best MBA/PGDM/BCOM/BBA universities. We are one of the nation’s oldest and most prestigious associations for MBA/PGDM/BCOM/BBA education and entrance consulting. Your best college options in India are recommended by our knowledgeable advisors. It is crucial to choose a course with good specialization, and we will assist you choose a college based on factors such as location, affiliation, cost, and placement. Get in top mba college direct admission

    Reply

  2. Regular visits listed here are the easiest method to appreciate your energy, which is why why I am going to the website everyday, searching for new, interesting info. Many, thank you! https://thesolarmovies.space/

    Reply

  3. Finally found an article like this ! Just wanna say thankyou and keep up the good work ! You can also check my website and know how to earn cash real time online .온라인카지노

    Reply

  4. First of all, thank you for your post. casinocommunity Your posts are neatly organized with the information I want, so there are plenty of resources to reference. I bookmark this site and will find your posts frequently in the future. Thanks again ^^

    Reply

  5. I’m writing on this topic these days, majorsite, but I have stopped writing because there is no reference material. Then I accidentally found your article. I can refer to a variety of materials, so I think the work I was preparing will work! Thank you for your efforts.

    Reply

  6. I’ve been looking for photos and articles on this topic over the past few days due to a school assignment, bitcoincasino and I’m really happy to find a post with the material I was looking for! I bookmark and will come often! Thanks 😀

    Reply

  7. Your explanation is organized very easy to understand!!! I understood at once. Could you please post about safetoto ?? Please!!

    Reply

  8. As I am looking at your writing, casinosite I regret being unable to do outdoor activities due to Corona 19, and I miss my old daily life. If you also miss the daily life of those days, would you please visit my site once? My site is a site where I post about photos and daily life when I was free.

    Reply

  9. I’ve been searching for hours on this topic and finally found your post. baccaratcommunity, I have read your post and I am very impressed. We prefer your opinion and will visit this site frequently to refer to your opinion. When would you like to visit my site?

    Reply

  10. It’s the same topic , but I was quite surprised to see the opinions I didn’t think of. My blog also has articles on these topics, so I look forward to your visit. casinocommunity

    Reply

  11. Your article has answered the question I was wondering about! I would like to write a thesis on this subject, but I would like you to give your opinion once 😀 bitcoincasino

    Reply

  12. Online slots web at all online game service centers, the web combines the web to make the best income. pgslot

    Reply

  13. Preparing scholastic papers is for sure mind-numbing for students. Students put a decent time into preparing a perfect piece of paper but still, it can end up into abundant effort due to some reasons. So, our motto is to provide you with a simple way to get a picture-perfect assignment when you ask us to do my assignment for me. Now you don’t have to ask yourself who will write my assignment for me UK, PayForAssignments.co.uk is here to satiate top grades for you. We have the best team of Ph.D. qualified field expert Assignment Writers in UK to cater to your request to do my assignment UK.

    Reply

  14. We at “Green Line Attestation Services” assist you with many services. We advise our Clients about the position regarding their declarations going through attestation/Apostille legitimization interaction. Furthermore, our customers can contact our specialists on complementary No. Our team put forth a valiant effort to give the best and most client cordial administrations. Also provides free pickup drop your doorstep from all locations of UAE (Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Sharjah, Ajman, Fujairah, Razal Khaimah.

    We give you the absolute best conceivable data.
    We work with proficient interpreters, both locally in the UAE and globally
    We will do rapidly with an expert and quick dispatch

    https://www.allattestations.com/

    Reply

  15. Robinhood has sought to minimize this nuisance by offering traders a location to trade both crypto and regular stocks and ETFs. However, in the past, all crypto holdings were actually held by Robinhood Crypto, LLC. robinhood sign in

    Reply

  16. It’s perfect time to make some plans for the future and it’s time to be happy. I’ve read this post and if I could I want to suggest you some interesting things or suggestions. 베트남 밤문화

    Reply

  17. Most of the time I don’t make comments on websites, but I’d like to say that this article really forced me to do so. Really nice post! shilpalok bd

    Reply

  18. I’ve been surfing online more than three hours today, yet I never found any interesting article like yours. It’s pretty worth enough for me. In my opinion, if all webmasters and bloggers made good content as you did, the web will be a lot more useful than ever before. Youtube mp3

    Reply

  19. Lentor Modern is a 99-year leasehold condo developed by Guocoland. The condo will be a luxury mixed-use development in the heart of the new Lentor Hills Estate. lentor modern

    Reply

  20. Impressive web site, Distinguished feedback that I can tackle. Im moving forward and may apply to my current job as a pet sitter, which is very enjoyable, but I need to additional expand. Regards. youtube to mp4

    Reply

  21. Thank you very much for writing such an interesting article on this topic. This has really made me think and I hope to read more. Youtube mp3

    Reply

  22. Whether you want to replace a damaged battery or to look for an ideal solution to fix your device’s cracked screen, the selection of a professional iMac Repair Philippine! center can
    resolve all your issues.

    Reply

Leave a Reply

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