Published March 2 2023 9:15am.

By: Kennedy Webb-Glenn

All over the world people in the U.S. need health care to live well. They need it to stay healthy when common colds, the flu, even pandemics such as COVID come about. From season to season the environment and culture within we reside changes. Due to high inflation and high cost of living people must spend more money that they may not have.

According to Pew Research Center about 83% Americans believe that high costs of medical treatment is a huge problem.

They all agree that quality care is unaffordable. It is a necessity for humans to survive. Upper-income Americans are more likely to say expensive medical treatments are worth the cost. They can afford these extra costs without worrying about how they are going to feed their children, send them to school, and go to work.

They can afford daycares, expensive medicine and getting regular checkups for their kids at the doctor’s office. While we see that lower-income Americans believe that medical treatments create just as many problems as they solve. This seems to be a common theme throughout all ages, races, ethnicities, educational groups, and family incomes.

High cost of living as well as high medical costs most directly affects African American citizens in America today. It is most directly to those who are living off the government. They may already live on a fixed income. This includes but not limited to fixed income housing and food stamps.

This is a major issue because the government only warrants them a certain amount of money a month to live off. There are a boatload of requirements you must meet to even be able to access the benefits. Most of them are geared towards women and children. Healthcare is beneficial to the needs of everyone. Although due to the environments of fixed income housing or projects or hoods which people must live it can make them more vulnerable to sicknesses.

This is something that the government tries but seems to not be paying enough attention or money towards. Insurance was created to help subside some of the ways high cost of medical treatments creep up on you. Although insurance is not always the forefront solution for families living on fixed income.

It simply becomes another expense that they can’t afford to add on to their budget. If they even seem like they might be making some type of decent living the government will cut you off and not provide assistance anymore.

Richelle Dixon, senior vice president and chief operating officer for Froedtert Hospital, said that “every day we see patients coming into the hospital who are very sick and have no way of knowing how they are going to pay for treatment. They sometimes even think the best solution is to not come into the hospital at all and continue to get sick at home until they die”.

“Every day while we continue to try and find better options for people who are losing their lives due to non-treatment the government continues to push the issue. Now that the cost of living has skyrocketed people are paying more attention now than ever that a change has to come.”

“Now that the cost of living has skyrocketed people are paying more attention now than ever that a change has to come.”

Richelle Dixon, Race to Affordable Healthcare: Long Marathon and No Fair Race

Carmen Acosta, a single middle-aged mother, living on section 8 in Cleveland Ohio raises her daughter and her sons two kids all by herself without even a vehicle to transport her day to day.

She said, “Without section 8 I would probably be in a women’s shelter.”  “I do not work and have no other type of income coming into my home. I can’t remember the last time I was able to visit a doctor or dentist office for treatment. Due to this I am very cautious about when and why I leave the house and try to keep taking vitamins to stay healthy for my kids as well myself.”

“Without section 8 I would probably be in a women’s shelter.” 

Carmen Acosta, Race to Affordable Healthcare: Long Marathon and No Fair Race

“I think that healthcare was the best it has been when President Obama was in office and started Obamacare. He was able to help a lot of people who were in need without adding government assistance too much.”

“I believe politics plays a huge part in health care and cost of living. I do not like the decision makers. They can not relate to me and my situation at all. I just want to provide for my family while being able to have access and equality to the same things people who make more money than me do.”

“I believe politics plays a huge part in health care and cost of living. I do not like the decision makers.”

Carmen Acosta, Race to Affordable Healthcare: Long Marathon and No Fair Race

While the government could be doing way more for Americans, they have opted to starting solutions such as Medicaid which is free insurance for fixed income families. There is also things like FASFA for people who cant afford college costs. When it comes to food and grocery shopping, I notice the ads in the newspapers always have deals and coupons that can be useful. As well as food stamp cards which could be referred to as ebt, snap and more.

Food stamps have always been helpful but now in some grocery stores there not accepted due to the laziness of the government failing to follow through to make sure the proper machines are being put in place in local grocery stores.

That is a major problem and is a disservice to the helping hand that has been put in place all while going through high inflation. While medicines and treatments continue to go up the government must come to agreement on other ways to help people in the U.S. prosper. There is a lot more work to be done. It will continue to be a marathon.