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?

207,743 thoughts on “Important Determinants of Health

  1. Cryptotahavolesabz merupakan salah satu media cryptocurrency, Bitcoin, Ethereum, XRP, blockchain, DeFi, keuangan digital,
    dan berita Web3 dengan analisis, video, dan pembaruan harga langsung

    Reply

  2. I have read your article, it is very informative and helpful for me.I admire the valuable information you offer in your articles. Thanks for posting it.. Physion mini

    Reply

  3. Hello, I have browsed most of your posts. This post is probably where I got the most useful information for my research. Thanks for posting, maybe we can see more on this. Are you aware of any other websites on this subject. organic blooms

    Reply

  4. 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!.. baby headbands

    Reply

  5. This article gives the light in which we can observe the reality. This is very nice one and gives indepth information. Thanks for this nice article. Papel ahumado

    Reply

  6. Yes i am totally agreed with this article and i just want say that this article is very nice and very informative article.I will make sure to be reading your blog more. You made a good point but I can’t help but wonder, what about the other side? !!!!!!Thanks Leather Bomber Jackets For Men

    Reply

  7. This type of message always inspiring and I prefer to read quality content, so happy to find good place to many here in the post, the writing is just great, thanks for the post. vinil esmerilado

    Reply

  8. I know your expertise on this. I must say we should have an online discussion on this. Writing only comments will close the discussion straight away! And will restrict the benefits from this information. libyan desert glass ring

    Reply

  9. All the contents you mentioned in post is too good and can be very useful. I will keep it in mind, thanks for sharing the information keep updating, looking forward for more posts.Thanks event logistics company

    Reply

  10. Excellent .. Amazing .. I’ll bookmark your blog and take the feeds also…I’m happy to find so many useful info here in the post, we need work out more techniques in this regard, thanks for sharing. meetings planner

    Reply

  11. You re in purpose of actuality an on the money website admin. The site stacking speed is stunning. It sort of feels that you’re doing any unmistakable stunt. In addition, The substance are work of art. you have done a phenomenal action regarding this matter! Leather Bomber Jacket Mens

    Reply

  12. Pretty good post. I just stumbled upon your blog and wanted to say that I have really enjoyed reading your blog posts. Any way I’ll be subscribing to your feed and I hope you post again soon. Big thanks for the useful info. Brow Melbourne

    Reply

  13. Really informative post that I found, it is the perfect post for getting ideas and tips for my knowledge. We provide academic writing services. Our experts are here to assist with, Online Dissertation Help in the UK. We have a professional dissertation helper. If you are facing problems with dissertation help assignments. So, you can contact us.

    Reply

  14. What a fantabulous post this has been. Never seen this kind of useful post. I am grateful to you and expect more number of posts like these. Thank you very much.
    SEO สายเทา

    Reply

  15. จีคลับ5555ฝาก-ถอน ได้ตลอด 24 ชั่วโมง ไม่มีเทิร์นโอเวอร์ เล่นได้เท่าไร ถอนได้เท่านั้น ระบบทันสมัย ดูแลข้อมูลลูกค้าด้วยระบบความปลอดภัย เกมหลากหลายมากกว่า 100 เกม

    Reply

  16. Took me time to read all the comments, but I really enjoyed the article. It proved to be Very helpful to me and I am sure to all the commenters here! It’s always nice when you can not only be informed, but also entertained! goex ffg black powder

    Reply

  17. Закажите каннабис и амфетамин высшего качества одним щелчком мыши. Наши цены справедливы — мы предлагаем только качественный гашиш и амфетамин по доступным ценам. Мы даем вам возможность заказывать так часто, как вам нужно! Мы отправляем амфетамин, марихуану и другие наркотики по всему миру. Все заказы будут доставлены всего за 24 часа! Купить мефедрон

    Reply

  18. I genuinely believed you would probably have something useful to say. All I hear is a bunch of whining about something that you can fix if you were not too busy looking for attention. After all, I know it was my choice to read.. Liveslot365

    Reply

  19. I came to this site with the introduction of a friend around me and I was very impressed when I found your writing. I’ll come back often after bookmarking! bed cushions

    Reply

  20. Кайф время. Если вы хотите получить то, что хотите, без компромиссов, тогда Время Кайфа для вас. Ни один другой веб-сайт не предлагает такое же качество и количество по лучшей цене. Мы международная компания, и у нас есть доступ к изощренным наркотикам со всего мира. Мы предлагаем продукты премиум-класса, которые доступны по конкурентоспособным ценам и в любое время. Купить лсд закладкой

    Reply

Leave a Reply

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