Census Bureau: Current Population Reports, Essay Example

Accessibility to appropriate dental and vision care for Americans

Introduction

Often it is noticed that people, especially, the elderly are without teeth and encounter failing eye sight. A brief inquiry into the situation revealed that Medicaid does not cover certain dental and vision services. People over 65 years of age enrolled in Medicare and utilize the supplemental advantage plans, still do not always receive adequate dental and vision coverage.

Failing vision and few teeth for chewing,is very distressing to persons enduring the crisis.Essentially, poor vision limits mobility and faulty teeth affect nutrition.  As such, this essay is aimed at sensitizing policy makers to the need for more appropriate vision and dental care within the population.

Body

Many insurance companies offer dental and vision plans separate from health insurance coverage. While there is a law requiring employers to have their employees covered with health insurance many plans do not include dental and vision. If employees require these other two other services they must buy separate insrance to compliment their health care plan. Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries encounter similar difficuklties with their health insurance coverage.

For example, if some plans cover vision they do not offer glasses. The same is true for dental plans. They offer examinations, but no dentures. Glasses and dentures require copayments often,which are so high most people, cannot afford the cost. Consequently, many citizens are left without teeth and the facilities of glasses, which would help them function more efficiently on a daily basis.

The impact ofFailing vision and few teeth for chewing,is very distressing to persons enduring the crisis cannotbe overemphasized. Diabetes and hypertension are common diseases in the society. One of the complications of diabetes is retinal damage. Besides a large percentage of the population are affected by diabetes and hypertention. Hypertension causes its fair share of visual impairment among affected persons. While regular screenings are useful, if these patients do not have access to being fitted with dentures and glasses, their quality of life is greatly compromised (WHO, 2011).

Sad to say, the people who suffer the most are found among the poorer classes in society. They cannot afford insurance policies that are costly. Further, inadequate dental and vision services depictsa more serious issue ofhealth care deliveryin America. Importantly, this reflects the incidence of health disparities that exist within the population. In the same way as how health care is inappropriately distributed so is dental and vision care.

The question of importance here is why this disparity among who can afford healthcare as against who cannot? All citizens, legal residents and even undocumented immigrants in the society pay taxes to the government. It is very unfair for the elderly, especially, who have been incapacitated by other health conditions to have the added trauma of failing eye sight without glasses and loos of teeth without any hope of replacement with dentures.

Conclusion

Hence, it is time now that Obamacare has been enforced and polices of the Affordable Care Act  are active that, policy makers revisit the accessibility of the average citizen to appropriate vision and dental care services. Research has shown where America’s health care is themost costly among developed nations as well as being very difficult to access due to stringent insurance eligibility coverage/costs (DeNavas-Walt, Proctor& Smith, 2011).

References

DeNavas-Walt, C. Proctor, B. Smith, J. (2011). Income, poverty, and health insurance coverage in the United States: 2010. U.S. Census Bureau: Current Population Reports, P60-239.

Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office

WHO (2011).World health statistics 2011. Geneva: World Health Organization