While our community continues to grow and prosper, there are many among us who, for various reasons, are either left out of the healthcare system or seem to simply fall through the cracks. Healthcare costs continue to spiral, leaving many in our county either without medical insurance or the ability to pay for needed medical procedures. Some residents may have lost their jobs and their healthcare coverage in the process. As citizens of Central Arkansas , we can either turn our backs on those who are suffering from a lack of medical attention or join together to minimize their illness and hardship. Through our organized efforts, we can alleviate the silent suffering of many and exemplify the caring community we are.
An extended discussion of these issues is contained in our Business Plan which we invited you to review. A summary of the problem is discussed below.
What Difference Does The Lack Of Access To Health Care Make In Our Community?
HEALTH INSURANCE MATTERS: Because there is a strong relationship between health insurance and access to medical services, whether or not people have health insurance directly impacts whether, when and where people obtain necessary medical care, and ultimately how health people are—it also has financial effects on families and societal effects on our community
LACK OF INSURANCE AFFECTS ACCESS: For example, the uninsured are up to three times more likely than those with insurance to report problems getting needed medical care, even for serious conditions—over 40% do not have a regular place to go when they are sick or need medical advice, compared to just 9% of those with coverage—approximately 20% of the uninsured report that their usual source of care is an emergency room
DELAYED OR SACRIFICED CARE: In 2003, nearly half of uninsured adults postponed seeking medical care, and over a third said that they needed medical care but did not get it—Anticipating costly medical bills, many of the uninsured are not able to follow the recommended treatment, i.e., over a third of uninsured adults state that they did not fill a drug prescription in the past year and over a third went without a recommended medical test or treatment due to cost
AVOIDABLE HEALTH PROBLEMS: Because uninsureds are less likely than insureds to have regular outpatient care, they are more likely to be hospitalized for avoidable health problems—when they are hospitalized they are more likely to receive fewer services and to die in the hospital than are insured patients
PREVENTATIVE CARE: The uninsured are also less likely to receive timely preventative care—for example, insured nonelderly adults are at least 50% more likely to have had preventative care such as pap smears, mammograms and prostrate exams compared to uninsured adults—because people with insurance are significantly more likely to have had cervical, breast and colon cancer screenings, uninsured cancer patients are diagnosed in later stages of the disease and die earlier than those with insurance
MORTALITY RATES: Having insurance improves health overall and could reduce mortality rates for the uninsured by 10-15%—the Institute of Medicine estimates that at least 18,000 Americans die prematurely each year solely because they lack health coverage
FAMILIES’ FINANCIAL WELL-BEING: Insurance helps reduce the financial uncertainty associated with health care, as illness and health care needs are not always predictable and care can be very expensive. Those lacking coverage are therefore more financially vulnerable to the high cost of care, are exposed to higher out-of-pocket costs compared to the insured, and are more often burdened by medical bills—Over a third of the uninsured have a serious problem paying medical bills, and nearly a quarter are contacted by collection agencies for medical bills. Medical-related bills are a substantial factor in the number of personal bankruptcies in the United States.
SOCIETAL EFFECTS: Lack of health care exacts an indirect toll on society in terms of more disability, lower productivity, and an increased burden on the health care system.
