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Access to Health Care and Insurance
According to the Arizona Department of Health Services, (see http://www.healthyaz2010.org/) "...Arizonans face severe barriers in accessing health care. For instance, data from the 1999 Current Population Survey (U.S. Census Bureau) indicates that 21.2% of all Arizonans lack health insurance coverage. Only Louisiana, Texas and New Mexico have higher rates of uninsurance. This high rate of uninsurance is troubling since uninsured individuals are more likely to report poor health status, delay seeking medical care and forego necessary care for potentially serious symptoms. Indeed, many uninsured Arizonans rely on hospital emergency rooms for primary and preventive care; it is estimated that 150,000 visits to Arizona hospital emergency rooms could be prevented through improved access to primary health care."
"Culture and language represent another barrier to health care access. Arizona is 20% Hispanic and has the 2nd largest number of American Indians in the nation; this suggests the need for the broad availability of culturally competent health care. In addition, as baby boomers continue into middle age and beyond, the need for adequate long term care availability and geriatric care providers will increase. By 2010, it is estimated that over 900,000 Arizonans will be 65 years of age or older."
Some of the goals of the State's "Healthy Arizona 2010" program, the goals include increasing (1) the proportion of persons with health insurance; (2) the proportion of persons who have a specific course of ongoing care, i.e. a medical home; (3) the proportion of persons who have access to clinical preventive services; (4) increasing the cultural competency and cultural sensitivity of health care providers; (5) increasing the proportion of persons who have access to long term care services.
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| Arizona Counties Web Links
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