Leadership – Response #1

  
Respond to your colleagues. Explain how their chosen national healthcare issue/stressor may also impact your work setting and what (if anything) is being done to address the national healthcare issue/stressor.
At least 2 references in each peer responses!  

  
 Health care access in the United States (US) is one of the many national health care issues or stressors faced by Americans and others living in the country. Report from the US Bureau of census indicates that in 2018, about 8.5 percent of people, that is 27.5 million people in the US were uninsured during this year, meaning that uninsured rate or the percentage of those without health care insurance increased from 7.9 percent or 25.6 million in 2017 to 8.5 percent or 27.5 million in 2018 (US Census Bureau 2019). Amongst many other factors, rising health care costs, inadequate or no insurance coverage, to some extent unfavorable government health policies that may be heavily motivated by politics, are some of the leading causes of limited access to health care in the US ( Access to Health Services, 2020). According to the US Bureau of census 2019, “In 2018, private health insurance coverage continued to be more prevalent than public coverage, covering 67.3 percent of the population and 34.4 percent of the population, respectively.” (US Census Bureau 2019, para 03). Unlike in the US, most European countries, including Canada, health insurance coverage is under the government to ensure full access to health care.
           In most state and community hospitals in the US, health care access is guaranteed via public or private insurance. Unfortunately, in the US, health care institutions have little or no power to address issues on health care access. Health care laws are legislated, and in some cases, they are political and party-affiliated. In some states like New Mexico, health care institutions may have to partner with the local government to enable access to health care on a specific illness with very minimal or no cost at all—the University of New Mexico Hospitals partnership with Bernalillo county to combat alcohol and drug addiction. Many programs on drug and alcohol detox or recovering centers are created to fight against addictions. This service is an extension of UNM Hospital’s (UNMH). Addiction and Substance Abuse Program’s (ASAP) and Metropolitan Assessment and Treatment Services (MATS) Detox, providing a comprehensive outpatient/inpatient approach in managing addiction and mental illness that can include detoxification, psychotherapy (Frank 2017, Bernalillo County Substance Abuse Services n.d).