The COVID-19 pandemic has exposed, and intensified, health inequities faced by Latinx in the United States. Washington was one of the first U.S. states to report cases of COVID-19. Public health surveillance shows that 31% of Washington cases are Latinx, despite being only 13% of the state population. Unjust policies related to immigration, labor,…

Most U.S. children (94%) have some form of health insurance coverage. While this is the highest rate in U.S. history, poor children still lag behind middle-income children. Serious infectious diseases (e.g., measles, diphtheria, meningitis) and severe malnutrition have declined or disappeared, and new treatments have improved life expectancy among…

Rates of health insurance for children have improved significantly over the past few decades, and more children have insurance than ever before in U.S. history. Health care does improve child health and well-being, but growing understanding of social and community influences has led health care practitioners to work toward more comprehensive and…

Meeting the health and wellness needs of students in school is a necessary and effective approach to reducing educational barriers for children and ensuring America's economic dominance in the 21st century. Since 1988, Medicaid has permitted payment to schools for certain medically necessary services provided to children under the Individuals with…

The challenges of resolving the oral health disparities among children and other vulnerable populations requires a well-organized community safety net, along with a sincere commitment to prioritize the elimination of this common, but preventable, dental disease. Adequate funding for basic health needs, while incorporating oral health care into a…

All children, even the healthiest, have preventive and acute health care needs. Moreover, a growing number of children are chronically ill, with preventive, acute, and ongoing care needs that may be much more demanding than those for healthy children. Because children are unable to care for themselves, their parents are expected to provide a range…

Moving toward universal coverage has the potential to increase access to care and improve the health and well-being of uninsured children and adults. The effects of health care reform on the more than 25 million children who currently have coverage under Medicaid or the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) are less clear. Increased parental…

Purpose: To determine if rural residence is independently associated with different access to health care services for children eligible for public health insurance. Methods: We conducted a mail-return survey of 10,175 families randomly selected from Oregon's food stamp population (46% rural and 54% urban). With a response rate of 31%, we used a…

This document presents witnesses' testimonies and prepared statements from the Senate hearing held in Birmingham, Alabama to alert the public to the problems associated with catastrophic illness; learn what community services exist for older adults; and clarify what requirements for services, research, and education must be met to formulate an…

The problems of access, adequacy, and affordability of health insurance for persons with severe chronic conditions are analyzed. Part 1 defines the target population by considering conceptual and methodological issues, and examines statistics from various national surveys. Part 2 examines the distribution of health insurance throughout the…

Few articles in the professional counseling literature address the healthcare crisis. This paper examines the current state of the United States healthcare affairs. Topics discussed include the problems in healthcare, including an inspection of the uninsured, the underinsured, rising healthcare costs, and the growing inequality in the healthcare…

There are 16.4 million women over age 65 in this country, compared to 11 million men. The 41 percent of this population who live alone are the poorest of the poor in this country, with an annual median income of just over $3,000 for white women and little more than $2,000 for black women. This abject poverty affects the ability of these women to…

Explores the status of health care coverage, or lack of coverage, for children and for working families, noting President Clinton's budget plans for improved access, and the implications of managed health care. Suggests that until policymakers devise a solution that will contain skyrocketing health care costs, many American families will continue…

This national survey of 2,299 elderly Hispanic Americans found that a great number face a daily struggle, living on limited incomes and coping with poor health. Problems in later years are the result of immigration patterns, low educational attainment, and limited English proficiency that have resulted in a lifetime of low income, no pension, and…

Analysis of the crisis in our nation's health care delivery system, and efforts being made for prompt correction. (IR)