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"Health insurance is a topic of high priority to the public and policymakers. Health insurance provides financial access to health care for those who face severe health care needs. And, in hopes of avoiding those needs, many health insurance programs are designed to encourage those covered to seek early and preventive health care services.
Although younger and more healthy people might believe they don’t need insurance, those without health insurance face substantial financial risks from accidents and disease. Studies have shown that the uninsured often postpone or neglect necessary care. At the same time, many of the uninsured face barriers to obtaining insurance coverage, including low incomes, high premiums or out-of-pocket costs, and health conditions that keep them from working or that health insurers find too risky to cover."
-Health Insurance in Ohio, 2004
Summary of Health
The Health Committee recommends:
- The low-income working poor, the uninsured and underinsured, the elderly, minorities, pregnant teens, the homeless, the disabled, the mentally ill and those needing treatment for substance abuse and other underserved populations will obtain affordable ongoing primary health care, dental, vision, and mental health care with regularly scheduled preventive checkups and screenings as well as substance abuse treatment and prescription assistance.
- Effective services provided in a timely manner leading to successful treatment.
- Reduce obesity among the school age population.
Overview of RecommendationsMore than 41 million Americans do not visit doctors’ offices, clinics, or health centers for ongoing primary care. Persons 18 to 24 years of age, individuals below the poverty level, and minorities are most likely to not have a usual source of primary care. As a result, the emergency room, the most expensive form of service delivery, often becomes the source of care for these populations. See the complete recommendation Mental illnesses and substance abuse problems are medical conditions that impact not only the person afflicted but those surrounding the that individual. Both local and national organizations recognize the importance of early identification and treatment. Access to effective treatment and appropriate support is a vital aspect the recovery from substance abuse and mental illnesses. See the complete recommendation Healthy People 2010 says of overweight and obesity:
“Overweight and obesity are major contributors to many preventable causes of death. On average, higher body weights are associated with higher death rates. The number of overweight children, adolescents, and adults has risen over the past four decades. Total costs (medical cost and lost productivity) attributable to obesity alone amounted to an estimated $99 billion in 1995.”
The CDC reports the consequences of obesity include: risk factors for cardiovascular disease, asthma, sleep apnea and type 2 diabetes. A study in the published in the New England Journal of Medicine predicts that by 2035 childhood obesity will increase the number of cases of heart disease by 100,000 or more than 16% nationally. Heart Disease is the leading cause of death for Stark County. The Ohio Department of Health reports that between 2004 and 2006, 3,003 deaths in Stark County were attributed to heart disease. Some consequences of youth obesity go beyond physical consequences and can include social discrimination which can hinder academic and social functioning with ramifications that can continue into adulthood. |