How COVID-19 Affected Healthcare This 2021

​The COVD-19 crisis has affected many American industries and among them is health care. Numerous changes have been made to cope with the extraordinary demands on the health care system.

Earlier in the pandemic, there was a serious concern regarding the possible dramatic spike in uninsured people. However, evidence to date suggested that the number of uninsured people has not risen as great as expected. Still, government action is needed to fill in the coverage and improve healthcare services despite its shortcomings.

Coverage Changes During the Pandemic
Millions of people have lost their jobs due to the pandemic. It's only normal to fear that they might also lose their health care insurance. However, more recent analyses have found a minor but still substantial loss of employer-sponsored coverage. 

At least two reasons showed why the United States did not see a more significant increase in uninsured. First, many of the workers did not have coverage through their job in the first place. Second, Americans who lost health insurance during the pandemic have been able to gain coverage through other healthcare insurance.

Changes in Medical Services during COVID-19
Healthcare providers, even before this pandemic, were already experiencing high and increasing levels of burnout. More so, The COVID-19 crisis continues to cause a surge in demand for healthcare as people are hospitalised and undergo diagnostic testing. With the virus spreading through hospitals, there has been an increase of staff members contracting it themselves.

During this pandemic, telemedicine is now practiced and widely accepted despite the hesitancy of many providers in the past years. Telemedicine might not be as efficient as a face-to-face consultation, but it sure is not inferior to it. Hospitals, physicians, and, more importantly, patients should positively see telemedicine as a new way to deliver medical services.

Barriers to Coverage and Healthcare
Affordability problems also prevent some Americans from seeking care and eventually lead to negative consequences in health. Most, if not all, are not adequately educated about the facts of COVID-19, which also leads them to have stereotypes against vaccination. To top it all, the availability of and access to healthcare are also a concern.

Medicine is Medicine
The pain of a health care crisis is something that nobody deserves, no matter where they are. We can only hope this tragedy will show the system and those who regulate it that we need to have access and availability for healthcare at all times.

At Hayek Insurance, we do our best to ensure that our clients are well-protected with affordable and comprehensive policies. We make sure to go the extra mile to help you with your needs. To learn more about how we can help you, please contact our agency at (805) 496-8835 or Click Here to request a free quote.