The Health of Poor USA Cities

The United States of America is a prosperous country, but the truth is that it has many impoverished areas. There are many people in these regions who struggle to pay for healthcare and related services.

Here are some of the problems that poor USA cities face.

The average healthcare cost in most US states is over $11,000 per year and it can take up to a third of an individual’s annual income just for their health insurance premiums each month.

What this means is that many people who live in these regions have had to drop coverage or delay necessary treatment because they couldn’t afford it. This has led directly to higher rates of uninsured individuals and skyrocketing costs for everyone else. It’s also contributed greatly to increasing levels of poverty in our nation – disproportionately so among Black and Hispanic communities which make up more than 50% of those living below the federal poverty line nationwide.

There are no guarantees here though, because even the white population is seeing a rapid rise in poverty rates.

This has been exacerbated by the opioid epidemic, which as of 2017 was responsible for two-thirds of all accidental deaths from medication overdoses and contributed to record high levels of child abuse fatalities nationwide.

In most US states, healthcare costs are over $11,000 per year and it can take up to one third of an individual’s yearly income just for their health insurance premiums each month. What this means is that many people who live in these regions have had to drop coverage or delay necessary treatment because they couldn’t afford it. This has led directly to higher rates of uninsured individuals and skyrocketing costs for everyone else – disproportionately so among residents of poorer US cities.

Federal insurance is so limited in these regions that the majority of residents have to depend on state-level programs, which leaves them vulnerable if their state should change its requirements or decide not to offer subsidized care anymore. For example, poor Texans cannot afford health insurance premiums and either go without coverage or pay as much $500 per month for a policy they can’t use because it doesn’t cover any hospital services other than emergencies. And so while Texas is one of 36 states that did see an increase in affordable healthcare options this year, most were only offered through Medicaid.