ABSTRACT
This chapter explores one of the major problems of the US healthcare system: access. A number of philosophical concepts support extending access to healthcare services to those who do not have it. A human rights approach to healthcare, with similarities to the ideas discussed, also provides justification for expanding access to health insurance and healthcare services. The debates over national health insurance, Medicare, Medicaid, and healthcare reform are, in a sense, marked by notions of community. Public health has had dramatic achievements that have led to increases in human longevity. The argument behind a social determinants perspective is that there are factors beyond the control of an individual that will affect that person’s health in the present and in the future. The problem of social determinants helps explain much of the disparities in health and care for portions of the US population. Community health workers can help people apply for health benefits, such as Medicaid.
