Health and Mental Health - Towards A Basic Level of Care
Living in poverty precludes having disposable income for "extras" like health insurance even as it significantly increases the likelihood of ill health. The devastating impact of diabetes and asthma alone, modern-day plagues that prey on the poor, could be lessened if only the poor had access to basic health care and health education. And the occurrence of catastrophic illness is often what differentiates the sheltered poor from the homeless, as poor, uninsured patients with serious medical conditions are forced to make wrenching trade-offs. When they choose the care that might save their lives, their housing is frequently lost in the bargain.
As Rosalynn Carter has told us, "poverty is the pathway to depression." Conversely, people afflicted with mental illnesses, including depression, are less likely to hold well-paying jobs and stay out of poverty. These health and mental health issues are especially concerning in the homeless, which itself can lead to depression and anxiety, and where serious illness can go untreated for prolonged periods.
When the uninsured poor are sick enough to finally seek treatment, it is often in emergency rooms, perhaps after much needless suffering, perhaps after exposing others to communicable diseases, and certainly making very inefficient use of costly resources. If you do not care because of compassion, consider the following: an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. It is ultimately less expensive to treat diseases early than late, and to have fewer cases of communicable diseases by catching cases as early as possible.
More than 47 million Americans have no health care insurance1. This lack of access to health care is one of the most important issues impacting poverty in this country, and we, and others, believe it is a problem that can be solved, and that it is in all our interests to solve it.
What You Can Do
At Elfenworks, we believe that together we can change the direction of our country, mitigate the historic levels of poverty and inequality that we are seeing, and get this country back on track. Do not underestimate the power of your efforts and your voice - they are just exactly what is needed. There are many ways in which your involvement can make a difference, and helping one person can start a ripple that sends waves of change throughout a community (and makes a difference to you personally, too). See our RIPPLE page for ideas.
1Source: Census Bureau, and Richard Wilkinson The Impact of Inequality.
