The State of Minnesota Health Report Cards, Essay Example

The state of Minnesota’s health card is published once a year. Statistical data of some key factors in the health sector are determined and put down for future reference (America’s Health, 2013). It is these health cards that gauge the health level of the state, as a whole. The key health indicators of Minnesota are discussed below:

The first indicator is ‘population facts.’ This includes all necessary facts about the population as the total population, composition (the insured and uninsured) and the poverty level. This information is useful in the determination of health status as it shows the margin of those people that are at risk of poor health (web). The next is an adult health indicator. This comprises of information such as the number of smokers, cancer patients, and HIV/AIDS patients. This can help judge the severity of health in the state. The other important indicator is child health indicator. In this, there is information about the immunization gap, the number of children infected with AIDS, those who are smoking and infant mortality rate. This and the previous indicator can be used to calculate the growth rate and health status of a state.

The information gathered from these indicators is directly related to Medicare and Medicaid (Kronenfeld, 2011). For instance, the population composition can help in the determination of the people in need of Medicare (health care for the aged), as well as, Medicaid (health care for the needy). The average population of people falling outside these brackets is also determined. This can then help in the overall planning process of the state. The state can foresee future Medicare and Medicaid needs.

Apart from these health indicators, health risk behaviors and disease have a number of direct and indirect burdens, as well. Tobacco smoking and drug abuse, for instance, have a direct burden of additional costs on the users (McGrady & Moss, 2013). The same is for suicide as one has a direct burden of losing their life. However, most of the burdens are long term and indirect. Drug abuse and smoking will lead to poor health in the long term, and so does poor nutrition. Suicide also affects the people around the victim as they lose a loved one. Another example of long term burdens is the case of risky sexual behaviors. It puts one in the risk of contracting dangerous and untreatable diseases, e.g. AIDS and other sexually transmitted infections (McGrady & Moss, 2013). To sum it up, all health risk behaviors narrow one’s life expectancy rate; hence, cases of premature mortality. As for the cases of diseases, both direct and indirect burdens are faced. Direct ones include death, the actual sickness and cost of treatment. Indirectly, it puts the relatives and friends of the sick at miserable conditions, e.g. stress. They may worry about the victim’s health to the extent that their own health is compromised.

A policy, health policy to be specific, is defined as specific plans, decisions and actions taken to achieve certain specific goals in the healthcare field. Examples of these health policies can be, the building of new hospitals, provision of anti-retroviral drugs, setting up of medical standards, providing free healthcare to the needy, and so on. These policies impact directly on the key health indicators. For instance, provision of condoms in all health care centers may help reduce the cases of people contracting AIDS. As a result, the figures will change by a percentage. Building more hospitals may also reduce the mortality rate and disease prevalence. Some policies, e.g. the introduction of age restrictions to alcohol buyers and the ban on some drugs may also affect health risk behaviors. For instance, if alcohol is not to be sold to people under the age of 21years, then the number of children drunkards will reduce. In summary, depending on the health policy, it may impact on health indicators, health risk behaviors and even disease prevalence. 

References

America’s Health (2013). Web. Key Health Data About Minnesota. Retrieved from: http://healthyamericans.org/states/?stateid=MN

Kronenfeld, J. J. (2011). Medicare. Santa Barbara, Calif: Greenwood.

McGrady, A., & Moss, D. (2013). Pathways to illness, pathways to health. New York, NY: Springer.

Olson, L. K. (2010). The politics of Medicaid. New York: Columbia University Press.