CHNA - Flipbook - Page 14
HEALTHCARE
ACCESS
Community members largely defined health in three ways
1. Having a holistic/balanced lifestyle in which your physical, mental, and social/relational needs are met;
2.
The ability to meet basic needs of shelter, food, bills, and a fair wage;
3. The absence of or proper management of chronic health issues. Healthcare, housing, basic needs, and healthy
food were all described as unaffordable. If people could not meet those needs, they faced barriers in achieving
their definition of health.
Community members raised serious concerns about healthcare access and quality. Healthcare Access was largely
defined by affordability. Affordability was not just an issue of whether a person is insured or uninsured. Many who
were insured indicated they could not afford their deductibles, prescriptions, copays, or out-of-pocket maximums.
Respondents who were insured, underinsured, and uninsured indicated that they needed more affordable healthcare
options to be healthy. Some residents indicated that they could afford healthcare and had high quality access but
recognized that many in their community did not have that same access due to inequities. Issues of affordability are
magnified even further by the rising cost of living in the Verdant Service Area, which leaves individuals with fewer
resources for health-related expenses.
“Exorbitant healthcare fees [are] pushing many
to choose even death over treatment that
would leave family members with bills hanging
over their heads.”
– Resident in Verdant Service Area
Verdant Health Commission 2022
Page 14
