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Reply to the following discussion, APA style, 150 to 250 words, and plagiarism less than 20 %, no AI, at least 1 reference.
Addressing Health Disparities in Medical Expansion
Medicaid Expansion: Addressing Social Determinants of Health and Reducing Disparities
Medicaid expansion, authorized by the Affordable Care Act in 2010, allows states to offer Medicaid to adults who earn up to 138% of the poverty level (Baten et al., 2024). Now, Medicaid expansion has been put in place by 40 states plus Washington D.C., ensuring low-income adults without regular health insurance can get the coverage they require.
How Medicaid Expansion Addresses Key Social Determinants of Health
Medicaid expansion addresses a variety of important factors that affect people's health. The improvements lead to more benefits that extend even beyond getting health care. By eliminating financial barriers, the policy ensures that low-income adults can now get important medical services, check-ups, and required medicines.
Change in economic status is likely the largest route by which Medicaid expansion affects health outcomes. Because the policy covers all major medical expenses, it prevents catastrophic bills from ruining a household's finances. Now, access to medical care does not come at the expense of meeting a family's basic needs like a home, food supplies, or essential utilities. Having this financial safety net helps avoid medical debts, bankruptcy, and related problems such as a loss of housing or insufficient food. Extensive research reveals that household money formerly used to pay medical bills was available for other purposes once these states expanded.
Although Medicaid does not focus on education, it helps improve situations that support student learning. Healthcare coverage helps parents manage their jobs and homes better, giving children the stability at school they need. Having these benefits means there are fewer obstacles to someone's ability to learn or find work.
The economic protection mechanism also supports the benefits of living in stable housing. When the medical burden is low for families, they are better equipped to maintain their homes and not face eviction (Creedon et al., 2022). Housing assistance and social services have started being included in some expansion programs, as it is clear they are linked to these determinants.
The policy's benefit is its focus on healthcare access as a base for helping people manage other issues and achieve greater health and financial security.
Strengths and Limitations of Medicaid Expansion in Reducing Health Disparities
By expanding Medicaid, states have given a major boost to low-income and racial minorities, who are more likely to be without insurance. As a result, people in these groups now have more access to care for preventive issues, chronic disease management, and mental health, and the rates of cancer screening and controlling diabetes have improved. In particular, rural areas have benefited from upgrades to their healthcare system and fewer hospital shutdowns (Lin et al., 2021). Still, there are significant problems that remain. Unfinished enrollment nationwide leaves millions of people from non-expansion states without any insurance coverage. The policy mainly deals with health access but does not specifically deal with factors like unstable housing, lack of enough food, or differences in education, which are the main causes of health inequity.
Advanced Practice Nurses' Role in Promoting SDOH Policies
APNs positioned within the healthcare system are well-equipped to promote healthy public policy changes based on what they see during patient visits. Acting as caregivers on the front lines, APNs can observe straight away how lack of housing, food, and financial issues negatively impact health, resulting in the need for advocacy.
To promote health policies, APNs sometimes lead professional nursing groups, become members of local health boards, and collaborate with other health experts to improve care strategies (Tiase et al., 2022). A doctor's clinical authority supports their efforts when explaining how various social conditions affect people's health at meetings with lawmakers or in front of legislative committees. Need Assignment Help?