Overcoming Barriers To Running

It is no secret that the cost of American healthcare is becoming increasingly more expensive. However, the issue of the rising cost of healthcare and its severity needs to be recognized as a major problem. Health prices are steadily increasing in the United States, and there is no sign of it stopping. Since 1970, spending on American health care has grown 9.8%, which is a rate that is growing faster than the economy (“New Technology”.) Furthermore, health insurance premiums are also increasing at a rate five times faster than American salaries, which makes it difficult for families to afford health care coverage (Zuckerman 28). Therefore, it has become an obligation to address why the cost of American health care is soaring and to seek out a solution to lower the cost. Many would jump to the conclusion that the United States simply charges too much for their medical services, but there are deeper influences that need to be analyzed. The causes of the rising cost of health care are people not using preventive health care, the development of modern technology, and the treatments being overprescribed. A possible solution is to have preventive health care services available in clinics of low-income areas.

Every individual in the world deserves to enjoy health and wellness. Maintaining or achieving proper health needs enables individuals to be productive at work and leisure. Traditionally, many people have had barriers obtaining adequate healthcare due to economic constraints or personal inconveniences. Despite impressive technological advances in medicine, the challenge of delivering quality healthcare to the Americans continues to be debated amongst the nation’s political and healthcare leaders. The aging baby-boomers and the increased number of uninsured people add to the equation of population growth which results in limited access to primary healthcare for the entire public. On the

Not only are the individual healthcare needs of each generation significantly different, but so too are the ways they participate in healthcare. According to Berkowitz (2011), the baby boomers take direction from physicians regarding care and medication, whereas, the other generations tend to ask more questions regarding their care, and may forgo care if they determine the cost is more than their perceived benefit. For the physicians group, embracing the differences each generation presents will be key to the long term survival of the

Most Americans avoid medical appointments because they may not have any physical symptoms whatsoever or simply because a doctor’s appointment does not fit in their daily routine.According to a recent study made by the American Academy of Family Physicians, 55% of men haven't gone to a doctor in the past year, and one-third of them reported not having a primary care physician. Although women is three times more likely to see a doctor on a regular basis than men, still the majority doesn't go to a doctor’s appointment mainly because their schedule doesn't allow it and since they do not have any physical symptoms, they do not bother to go; unless they start having physical symptoms, which most of people are likely to ignore until they can't deal

The United States of America has been known to be one of the most advanced countries in terms of our quality of medicine, medical programs, and medical advances. A person can walk into nearly any emergency room without the fear of being turned away or not getting care. With so many resources and cutting edge technology, it’s hard to believe that this health care system does not function to suit the needs of the populations that are most in need of care. Gaining access to long term, continuous health care has become an arduous task, especially over the past two years. Finding a primary care provider seems impossible nowadays, whether a person is insured or uninsured.

Health care has moved forward with an emphasis on health care delivery and healthier people as a whole, as opposed to the traditional health care of the past. People used to go to different physicians to treat different conditions separately, and the physicians did not see the big picture of the patient’s health status, as they do in this day and age, by connecting these health care services under the same roof or network. Many times the patient would go to different physicians and would undergo the same tests, and their health insurance provider would have to cover these tests. Often times the patient would be sent out for testing that was not even necessary, and it would drive up the cost of health

Total health care spending in 1975 consumed about 8 percent of the U.S economy in 1975. Today it accounts for nearly 16 percent of the gross domestic product and is projected to reach nearly 20 percent by 2016 (Orszag, 2007). One of the reasons for rising health care costs is due to costly new medical technologies. Some of these new medical advancements allow for physicians to treat previously untreatable conditions. It is unclear as to whether these new options are cost effective. Most people believe that more expensive care equates to better health care. There is significant evidence to support that more expensive care does not necessarily mean higher-quality care. This suggests that there may be an opportunity to reduce health care spending without impairing outcomes The most compelling evidence of that opportunity comes from the substantial geographic differences in spending on health care within the United States-and the fact that they do not translate into higher life expectancy or measured

Due to the misdirected cost of care, access to healthcare has impacted through increased demands for medical services and the decrease in medical personnel to provide needed services. Comparatively, estimating by 2021 ten to twenty-one million new direct care workers will be needed in order to cover the projected health care demands (Herman & Rollins, 2003). Nevertheless, the juxtaposition of medical shortcomings and quality of care has also impacted. Henceforth, the current lack of medical personnel such as physicians, nurses, and advanced practitioners have impacted health care quality, causing the majority of Americans to receive health care services through hospital emergency departments and government- subsidized community health centers

shin splints, stress fractures and runners knee. So often we look at the “runners body” in pictures

Many low-income people who cannot afford healthcare services often have a difficult time finding a pharmacy or physician who will accept them as patients. Patients who do not receive the appropriate care from physicians are at a higher risk of developing avoidable diseases. Research has shown 23% of uninsured patients do not get medical care due to the cost of treatment or get delayed medical treatment due to costs (Barton, 2010). Bernard and Sheldon found in 2006 approximately 11.3 million U.S. residents were uninsured from 2001 to 2002, despite being employed (Barton, 2010). According to the textbook; Understanding The U.S. Health Services System; American Indians or Alaska Natives have the highest uninsured population being at 38%, followed by Hispanics and Latinos at 35% (Barton 2010). Furthermore, people between the ages 18 and 44 are among the highest proportion with no health insurance coverage, most of them being males (Barton, 2010). There are numerous reasons why patients lack health insurance coverage, including but not limited to: people cannot afford the premiums, do not qualify for Medicare, Medicaid, or other government programs, their employer does not offer any insurance because they are part time, or they have declined their employers insurance (Barton, 2010). These uninsured patients rarely use nonemergency ambulatory services therefore have a greater chance of having uncontrolled diabetes, hypertension, or cholesterol

Primary care is the backbone of many industrialized nations, but is the US one of them? Unfortunately, the answer is no. The US lags behind such developed nations in its accessibility of primary care by a huge difference. The United States healthcare system fails to ensure the timely preventative and primary care for its residents. The current estimates indicate that there is merely one physician for every 2,500 patients. Not only Medicare beneficiaries, but also privately insured adults struggle in accessing the right primary care physician at the right time. Moreover, maldistribution of physicians only exacerbates the problem, especially for those residing in health professional shortage areas (HPSA).15 Approximately, sixty-five million Americans live in designated primary care shortage areas.13 Such underserved population faces higher disease and death rates and health disparities that then result in higher rates of hospitalizations and emergency department visits—in other words, expensive medical bills.21 More governmental control on the geographic location of primary care physicians can be a first-step to fixing the shortage problem.

The United States healthcare system is one of the most expensive systems in the world with 16% of its gross domestic product (GDP) assigned to it, it is expected that this spending may increase up 20% of the US GDP by 2016.1 Unfortunately, despite the large amount of money delegated to this system there are still widening gap in health disparities existing in the US, based on geographical areas, race/ethnic groups or class.2 Other factors such as genetics, social circumstances, environmental exposures, behavioral patterns, and lopsided access to opportunities encourage such disparities.1,3 The number of people that do not have access to healthcare in the US is alarming, for instance in 2005 about 40 million Americans did not receive healthcare services because of their inability to purchase health insurance policy and/or pay out of pocket.1

Access to preventive health care should not be definable as one of life’s luxuries, yet that is what is has come to be for the approximately “50 million Americans” who have no health insurance (Turka & Caplan, 2010). Clogged emergency rooms and “preventable deaths” are just two of the consequences associated with the lack of health insurance that would provide access to preventive care (Turka & Caplan, 2010). We as a nation are depriving our citizens of one of our most basic needs—being healthy.

According to Garza (2016), the elderly will have an increase need of resources and healthcare professionals to better manage their healthcare issues. “The percentage of the U.S. economy spent on health care for individuals ages 65 and older exceeds 5 percent — a proportion that is expected to double by 2030 and triple by 2050. As seniors age, they may struggle to afford soaring health care costs” (Fay). Medicaid and Medicare pay for most of the senior citizen’s healthcare bills but many are still in medical debt. The cycle is continuous; as the population grows older they experience one or more chronic conditions which lead to the need for health insurance and healthcare. Epidemiologists will now have the task of seeing how the increase of medical debt affects the elderly population in relation to the diseases they experience. A study that involved 3,000 participants found that “more than 75 percent of Medicare-eligible households spent at least $10,000 out of pocket on health care… and for the remaining 25 percent the average expense was even greater: they spent a whopping $101,791 out of pocket” (Health Care Cost: Expenses Hurt Elderly The Most, Report, 2012). Finding proper healthcare professionals can also affect the elderly’s quality of life. There is a shortage of nurses, caregivers, and doctors that specialize in caring for the elderly which can be

Running is easy, enjoyable and is very social. Many people see running as a good place to meet new people and enjoyable to do, it is also one of the easiest ways to exercise. Running can be very fun, it is easy because you need no experience to run. Training for races is also fun it can be done by men and women, girls and boys at any age. You can meet new people who can be very social able, you can meet new people by either running by yourself or with a friend or spouse. People of all sizes and races and ages can run it is a great way to meet new people and a great way to exercise.