Reference no: EM133803044

Question

Rewrite in active voice for conciseness Income disparities significantly impact access to and quality of healthcare services. According to Garber, wealthier individuals are more likely to receive high-value care, such as cancer screenings and diabetes care, which improve outcomes and reduce long-term costs. For example, high-income younger adults had colorectal cancer screening rates nearly 20 percentage points higher than their low-income counterparts. However, wealthier patients also tend to receive more low-value care, such as unnecessary antibiotics for colds and flu, which can lead to adverse health effects. In contrast, low-income patients are more likely to receive other types of low-value care, including opioids for back pain and benzodiazepines for depression, which carry risks of dependence and withdrawal symptoms. These findings reflect systemic inequities in healthcare access and provider practices, where financial barriers, provider shortages, and geographic constraints limit access to high-value care for low-income individuals. Addressing these disparities requires targeted interventions, such as improving affordability, enhancing provider training, and expanding access to preventive care for underserved populations.