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?

172,251 thoughts on “Important Determinants of Health

  1. I am very impressed with your writing bitcoincasino I couldn’t think of this, but it’s amazing! I wrote several posts similar to this one, but please come and see!

    Reply

  2. I’m very pleased to discover this site. I want to to thank you for ones time for this particularly wonderful read!! I definitely savored every part of it and i also have you saved as a favorite to see new information on your blog
    https://www.gostopsite.com/

    Reply

  3. The origin of Tamil, like other languages, but unlike other established literary languages of India, does not depend on Sanskrit. Tamil is one of the oldest languages. The history of the Tamil language can be broadly divided into three periods, namely: Early Tamil with the sixth century before and after Christ; Medieval Tamil, 6th-12th centuries; As well as Modern Tamil, from the twelfth century to the present day.
    Speakatoo is a leading, trending & the most popular AI based converts Tamil Speech in various types of audio files from text. Convert Tamil Text to Voice

    Reply

  4. When I read an article on this topic, totosite the first thought was profound and difficult, and I wondered if others could understand.. My site has a discussion board for articles and photos similar to this topic. Could you please visit me when you have time to discuss this topic?

    Reply

  5. First of all, thank you for your post. safetoto 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

  6. Your writing is perfect and complete. baccarat online However, I think it will be more wonderful if your post includes additional topics that I am thinking of. I have a lot of posts on my site similar to your topic. Would you like to visit once?

    Reply

  7. One of my friend and I are really happy to finally find this article.토토사이트 This has all we need, and We would like to say “Many thanks” to this writer.

    Reply

  8. I’m happy to find so many useful info here in the post, thanks for sharing. I’ll bookmark your blog and take the feeds also!sbobet login

    Reply

  9. Merupakan suatu agen judi slot online paling digamari kaula muda maupun tua. Bagi kalian yang ingin mendapatkan jackpot besar di Panen123

    Reply

  10. I have been looking to discover a solace or powerful method to finish this procedure and I think this is the most reasonable approach to do it Bos138

    Reply

  11. Very nice blog!! Guy .. Excellent .. Amazing .. I’ll bookmark your blog and take the feeds additionally…I am glad to find so much helpful information right here in the post Panen123

    Reply

  12. Bos138 adalah situs agen judi tepercaya yang sering memberikan kemenangan bagi kalian yang bermain disini

    Reply

  13. If you are ready to start an addiction treatment program and are interested in a men’s rehab program, contact the top-rated rehab for men at Spirit Mountain Recovery.  men’s drug rehab

    Reply

  14. Thank you for another great article. Where else could anyone get that kind of information in such a perfect way of writing? I have a presentation next week, and I am on the look for such information. 메이저사이트

    Reply

  15. 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. result totomacau

    Reply

  16. Ishwara is one of the reliable brands in the disposable food containers industry. To ensure that your restaurant is providing quality services and choose the best paper glass in noida.

    Reply

  17. Do not take Malegra FXT Plus quite once daily.If you miss a dose of Malegra FXT and you continue to will engage in gender, take it as soon as you remember. still take it as prescribed by your doctor.doseTake the drugs as prescribed by your doctor.If you miss a dose of Malegra FXT, use it as soon as possible. If it’s almost time for your next dose, skip the wasted dose and return to your regular dosing schedule. don’t use 2 doses directly.

    Reply

  18. The police interpreted this as a terrorism threat.

    “Terrorism has been spread, the country’s peace has been harmed,” the police report said. It also called for the former prime minister to be punished.
    바카라사이트

    Reply

  19. Hello there! I could have sworn Iíve been to this web site before but after looking at many of the articles I realized itís new to me. Anyhow, Iím definitely delighted I came across it and Iíll be bookmarking it and checking back regularly! 토토홍보센터

    Reply

  20. Marketing companies which will help webmasters to control their online promoting campaignsNice to be visiting your blog once more, it has been months for me. Well this article that ive been waited for therefore long. i want this article to finish my assignment within the faculty, and it has same topic together with your article. Thanks, nice share 먹튀검증커뮤니티

    Reply

  21. PartyCityFeedback is an online questions-based survey provided by Party City. These questions will be based on a consumer’s shopping experience at that brand’s place. Worried about the questions? Chill! Questions in this survey will be elementary to answer and will not cost more than 3 minutes of your time. Party City’s administration will use answers which are nothing but clients’ honest feedback for their improvement.
    https://www.surveymayor.com/partycityfeedback/

    Reply

  22. Thanks for the wonderful post! I really enjoyed reading it, you might be a great author. I will certainly bookmark your blog and definitely will come back sometime soon. owenxia.com

    Reply

  23. Lama Fera Healing is an extremely powerful technique that provides quick healing. It is believed that it is powerful enough to deflect every negative energy. A strange fact is that this therapy lasts only 5 minutes.

    Reply

  24. Founded in 1985 by Cuban exiles, Radio Mambí – named after Cuban guerrillas known as “mambises” who fought for independence from Spain – soon became an influential fixture of Miami’s large community of Cuban exiles. The radio gave voice to the exiles’ vocal opposition of Cuba’s communist regime.

    바카라사이트

    Reply

  25. Great write-up, I am a big believer in commenting on blogs to inform the blog writers know that they’ve added something worthwhile to the world wide web!.. numero voyante

    Reply

Leave a Reply

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