Application of Course Knowledge: Answer all questions/criteria with explanations and detail. Correctly identify your assigned social determinant. Healthcare access and quality Briefly define the determinant and describe how it impacts healthcare outcomes.

For many people in the United States, getting access to high-quality healthcare is difficult. When it comes to getting enough, affordable, and accessible healthcare services when they're required, access and quality are key factors. Negative effects including longer wait times, delayed care, a rise in unnecessary hospital visits, and a growing number of medical conditions are caused by a lack of access to healthcare and the availability of inadequate medical services. The primary goal of Healthy People 2030 is to improve health by facilitating timely access to high-quality healthcare. Healthcare access and quality refer to the ability to use the available resources to obtain the necessary care, such as treatment, preventive treatments, and screenings, and to uphold the criteria for access to improve patient outcomes.Access also refers to a person's ability to get insurance through their employer or at their place of residence. Clinical treatment and patient outcomes, as well as other quality measures, are largely dependent on everyone having access to high-quality healthcare, regardless of socioeconomic level or physical health. The goal of determinants is to offer health benefits and quality of life to persons accessing services to satisfy individual or family needs, such as health insurance (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2020). According to Healthy People 2030 (2020), one in ten Americans lacks health insurance, which restricts their access to high-quality care. According to the report, people avoid obtaining recommended healthcare treatments like cancer screenings either because they lack access to primary care doctors or because they are unwilling to pay for these services. People with a history of asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), for example, are more likely to be denied coverage by an insurance provider, which can lead to further exacerbation of symptoms and a lower quality of life. Furthermore, some drugs are not covered by your plan due to their high cost or less effective treatment options; this can result in unnecessary prescription refills and the risk of hospitalization or death. The availability of medical care affects a person's total physical, social, and mental health as well as their quality of life (NIH, 2018). Receiving medical care is a fundamental human right, and governments must make efforts to guarantee that all citizens have fair and equitable access to the best clinically available services. A person's present state of health and the treatments they need to either improve or maintain their existing level of well-being are the main determinants of how much they utilize their health insurance. The caliber of the services offered is another aspect that might have an impact on health outcomes. Even if someone has insurance or a high income, there may be several barriers to getting those services because of the location, cost, and transportation. Poor-quality service providers can do more harm than help.