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Health Equity Barriers
Chapter 14
Address the following topics.
- Identify three systemic barriers to healthcare for vulnerable populations in the United States.
- Compare and contrast the social and economic conditions that influence health and illness to the advantage of dominant and the disadvantage of nondominant group members.
- Identify systems-level interventions to implement change that addresses health inequities for vulnerable populations in the community.
Discussion posts must be a minimum of 400 words, references must be cited in APA format 7th Edition, and must include a minimum of 2 scholarly resources published within the past 3 years.
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Health Equity Barriers
Discussion: Addressing Systemic Barriers to Healthcare for Vulnerable Populations
Systemic Barriers to Healthcare Access
Vulnerable populations in the United States often face multiple systemic barriers that limit their access to quality healthcare. Three major barriers include:
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Lack of health insurance: Many individuals, especially low-income and undocumented populations, remain uninsured due to high costs or ineligibility for government programs (Shi & Singh, 2022).
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Geographic disparities: Rural and underserved urban areas often lack healthcare facilities and providers, making access to care difficult.
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Language and cultural barriers: Patients with limited English proficiency or from diverse cultural backgrounds may experience miscommunication, discrimination, or lack of culturally competent care.
Social and Economic Conditions Influencing Health
Dominant groups (e.g., White, middle-to-upper income individuals) often experience social and economic advantages that promote better health. These include stable employment, access to nutritious food, safe housing, quality education, and private health insurance. In contrast, nondominant groups—including racial minorities, immigrants, and those living in poverty—frequently endure poor housing, food insecurity, environmental hazards, and limited access to preventative care.
The social determinants of health (SDOH) play a key role here. For example, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2021) note that Black and Hispanic populations face higher rates of chronic illness and shorter life expectancies due to systemic inequities in income, education, and healthcare access.
Systems-Level Interventions to Address Health Inequities
To reduce these inequities, community-level and policy-level changes are essential. Key interventions include:
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Expanding Medicaid and other safety-net programs to cover more uninsured individuals.
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Investing in community health centers in rural and underserved neighborhoods to provide comprehensive, culturally competent care.
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Implementing health equity training for healthcare providers to reduce implicit bias and increase cultural sensitivity.
Additionally, partnerships between public health departments, local governments, and community-based organizations are critical for addressing upstream social determinants, such as housing, education, and transportation.
Conclusion
Addressing health disparities requires tackling systemic barriers and creating inclusive healthcare systems. Equity-focused interventions, grounded in community needs and supported by policy reforms, can help vulnerable populations achieve better health outcomes and overall well-being.
References
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2021). Health equity considerations and racial and ethnic minority groups. https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/community/health-equity/race-ethnicity.html
Shi, L., & Singh, D. A. (2022). Essentials of the U.S. health care system (6th ed.). Jones & Bartlett Learning.