Health problem of chicano - Research Paper Example

Health Problem of Chicano What is the issue? Health Problems are one of the biggest issues for Chicanos in the United States.Health problems are brought about by many factors such as lack of health insurance, lacking a regular source of medical care, and inconveniences one encounter when trying to obtain health care. According to Frank and Elizabeth (1), about one in six adults living in the United States lack health insurance, the highest uninsured rates are among Hispanics and those with low incomes.

Examples of the major health problems observed in the Chicano community in the United States are cancer, heart disease, obesity, asthma, diabetes, alcoholism and HIV/AIDS, among others (Raquel, 1).What will happen if the issue is not solved?If those barriers that hinder people from accessing proper medical care are not eliminated, it can have numerous negative impacts on the community. It will lead to costly hospitalizations as well as more severe health issues. The future’s health care system will be faced with much larger numbers of Hispanic patients who are suffering from chronic conditions such as hypertension, cardiovascular disease, and diabetes and from the consequences of these conditions as well (José & Rubén, 1).

Who is most affected by it?Chicano’s Health Problem is an issue that needs to matter to all citizens of the United States. Increase in health problems in the United States will lead to a decrease in the countrys ability to maintain as well as stimulate economic growth. This is due to the fact that the country will need to spend more of its finances in treating the sick people. There will also be a decline in the number of people who are able to work. The citizens of the United States should really care about this issue because if they don’t pay attention to it the problem will just keep increasing and so will the negative effects on the society.

How can this issue be alleviated or resolved? The Affordable Care Act has offered numerous health benefits to Chicano community. First, there is affordability because of expanded Medicaid coverage. According to Instituto Familiar De La Raza (2), because of the Care Act it is projected that over five million Latinos will be able to access health insurance. Given that the Chicanos encounter among the highest health discrepancy all over the country, the eradication of pre-existing conditions tackles a enormous barrier to access to healthcare.

In the Affordable Care Act, there is also the extension of benefits for youngsters to stay under the coverage of their parents. For a community that puts a great importance on family unit, this benefit is very significant. It becomes even more important provided that unemployment levels continue to be high and youngsters encounter difficulties in finding employment (Instituto Familiar De La Raza, 2). Health problems can also be resolved through conducting Screening tests. Screening tests helps to detect certain types of cancer as early as possible and also help to prevent cancer from developing in any way.

The Chicano community should be educated on the importance of preventive measures such as cervical, breast, colorectal as well as other screening tests. They also need to be educated on the behaviors that can increase the risk of developing cancer as well as behaviors that bring about the spread of sexually transmitted diseases, for instance HIV (Raquel, 3). Works CitedFrank Newport & Elizabeth, Mendes. (2009). Well-being. Gallup.com, 22 July 2009. Web 17 April 2014.Instituto Familiar De La Raza. (2014). Latinos and the Affordable Care Act. ifrsf.org, 6 Aug 2014.

Web 17 April 2014.José Escarce, & Rubén Rumbaut. (2006). The Health Status and Health Behaviors of Hispanics. Nih.gov. Web 17 April 2014.Raquel Raices. (2003). Health Issues In the Latino Community.Osu.edu, 24 November 2003. Web 17 April 2014.