Posted on 221,223 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?

221,223 thoughts on “Important Determinants of Health”

  4. Here you can find youngsters of perfection who make some incredible memories fulfilling your dreams. You could call this spot heaven! Our high-class Goa Escorts.Yes, I am entirely agreed with this article, and I just want say that this article is very helpful and enlightening. I also have some precious piece of concerned info !!!!!!Thanks. 먹튀

    Reply

  5. Academics is something that cannot be neglected at any cost and if you also think the same then you are at the right place where you will get best Taxation law assignment help for all your assignments so that it can help you in strengthening your assignment.

    Reply

  6. Hello just wanted to give you a quick heads up. The text in your article seem to be running off the screen in Internet explorer. I’m not sure if this is a format issue or something to do with browser compatibility but I figured I’d post to let you know. The design and style look great though! Hope you get the issue fixed soon. Kudos judi slot

    Reply

  12. I am happy to find your distinguished way of writing the post. Now you make it easy for me to understand and implement the concept. Thank you for the post. Buy land

    Reply

  14. I haven’t checked in here for some time because I thought it was getting boring, but the last few posts are really good quality so I guess I’ll add you back to my daily bloglist. You deserve it my friend. insurance guides io interactive

    Reply

  15. I’m curious to find out what blog platform you have been utilizing? I’m experiencing some minor security issues with my latest site and I’d like to find something more secure. Do you have any recommendations? judi slot

    Reply

  33. Hello I am so delighted I located your blog, I really located you by mistake, while I was watching on google for something else, Anyways I am here now and could just like to say thank for a tremendous post and a all round entertaining website. Please do keep up the great work. Samsung Galaxy A53 5G Price in italy 2022

    Reply

  38. This is a good post. This post gives truly quality information. I’m definitely going to look into it. Really very useful tips are provided here. Thank you so much. Keep up the good works. playdoughfun

    Reply

  40. ไฮโลออนไลน์ ไฮโลไทย แทงขั้นต่ำ 10 บาท ฝากถอนไม่มีขั้นต่ำ สะดวก รวดเร็ว ด้วยระบบออโต้ที่ทันสมัยที่สุด เว็บไฮโลออนไลน์ที่ดีที่สุด 2022″ https://hilospec.com/hilo-thai/

    Reply

  41. Very likely I’m going to bookmark your blog . You absolutely have wonderful stories. Cheers for sharing with us your blog . What an interesting story! I’m glad I finally found what I was looking for . The blog and data is excellent and informative as well . You have a very good site, well constructed and very interesting . The website loading speed is amazing. It kind of feels that you’re doing any distinctive trick. 스포츠토토

    Reply

  44. I am still new in the world including blogging, so I am still confused, what is the best blog, dofollow or nofollow? because many people say that the blog dofollow is less favored by google search .. let me know the correct, please!
    Model Escorts Delhi

    Reply

  45. Nice post! I really appreciate to read the post here and also its great that the people here are giving their opinion which is really useful for me to decide whether it is good or not.
    kolkata female escorts

    Reply

  50. Thanks for sharing such a great information.. It really helpful to me..I always search to read the quality content and finally i found this in you post. keep it up!
    Escort in Agartala

    Reply

Leave a Reply

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