Reference no: EM133467512

Question

A vulnerable population is the uninsured or underinsured, with millions of people unable to afford health care insurance due to poverty, lack of education or unavailable health resources. The amount of people in the United States that are uninsured, according to the United States Census Bureau, more people were insured in 2021 than 2020. In 2021, 8.3 percent of people, or 27.2 million, did not have health insurance at any point during the year, representing a decrease in the uninsured rate and number of uninsured from 2020 (8.6 percent or 28.3 million). The statics showed that the largest part of the population without insurance were males, between ages 19 to 64 with less than a High School education and lower income. A person with no insurance is less likely to receive preventive screening and routine checkups. A visit to Urgent Care or the Emergency Department is unfreeable due to not having sufficient money to pay for the visit. The uninsured or underinsured avoid going to health care facilities due to finances, as Public Health Nurses (PHN), we need to advocate for this vulnerable population to insure they have access to health programs. Depending on their income and family, the Arizona Department of Health Services, (AZDHS) have a list of Sliding Fee Schedule Clinics, with safety-net providers ask to follow these considerations; No patient should be denied services due to an inability to pay or patients below poverty are charged a nominal fee or not charged at all. As nurses we need to consider the hardship of the uninsured that are living in poverty, and advocate for free screening and testing, for example AZDHS offers a Well Woman Health Care Program for breast and cervical cancers to females aged 21 to 64 years old at no cost.