Income, Poverty, and Health Insurance Coverage in the US, Essay Example

Accessibility to appropriate dental and vision care for Americans

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.

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.

Sad to say, this occurs mainly among the poorer classes of people in society who 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 time is now when 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