Health and Social Care Policies Literature & Language Essay

Health and Social Care Policies
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Health and Social Care
Introduction
In response to the challenges emerging from epidemiological transitions, governments around the globe are grappling with implementing policies to restructure health care systems in meeting different health and social needs among populations (Sheikh, 2017). Reforms in health and social care are aimed at improving access and availability of services, reducing inequalities in access, reduce cost and improve quality of services for all populations, and respond to key challenges of the changing societies. These objectives are geared towards ensuring that individuals and populations enjoy the benefits of high-quality services that are well synchronized within a robust health and social care system with effective public policies. These policies are decisions, plans, and actions governments undertake to meet specific health and social care goals in society. examples of such policies include tobacco control policy, vaccination policy, and breastfeeding promotion policy and span different areas of care such as quality and access to care, health equity, and delivery and financing of health and social care. While discussions about health sustainability has focused on quality of care and patient involvement, little attention has been paid to financing care as a fundamental area in the economics of health and social policy that affects health equity (Liaropoulos & Goranitis, 2015). This paper explores income levels as a social determinant of health that impacts access to health insurance coverage among the Latinos as a minority groups in the United States.
Income Levels as a Social Determinant of Health
Many factors, including income levels, quality of education, and the environment influence the health of individuals and populations. However, research indicates that among all the social determinants of health, income and social status is the most influential such that higher social and economic status are associated with better health (Krisberg, 2016, p.1). According to the World Health Organization, the increasing gap between the rich and the poor further increases the issue of health equity (WHO, 2020). Public health care workers have witnessed complex associations between low-income households and poor health and science has constantly pointed to the evidence linking low income to increased risks of disease incidences, outcomes, and life expectancy (Krisberg, 2016). For decades, the income inequality in the United States has been on the rise and there have been large differences in wages based on race, ethnicity, and gender. For instance, in 2015, the Hispanic men earned $14 per hour compared to African Americans and white men who earned $15 and $21 per hour respectively (Krisberg, 2016). Women lagged behind men in terms of wages regardless of their racial or ethnic groups. Income inequality is an aspect that has been observed not only across racial and ethnic lines, but also different types of occupations. For example, although cashiers and sales workers are the largest occupations in the United States, they comprise of the lowest paying jobs. Compared to registered...