Reference no: EM134043329

Question

Consider a hypothetical case of Susan, a 35-year-old woman who lives in a lower income rural community. She suffers from diabetes, obesity, osteoarthritis, and depression. The closest grocery store is 20 miles away, and there are few parks, sidewalks, or bike paths in the community. There is a ski area that is open in the wintertime, but the prices of lift tickets are so high that local people can't afford it. Most people drive many miles each day to get to work, and sometimes they exceed the speed limit because they are worried about being late. If one loses one's job, there are very few options to get another one. Additionally, home prices and mortgages having been rising very quickly as the area is becoming attractive to people from the city looking to purchase second homes. Susan takes care of her wife, who has a hard time finding work and suffers from chronic pain due to an accident several years ago. Susan works at a chicken-processing factory, where she makes a little too much money to qualify for Medicaid. She worries constantly about being able to afford the rising premiums for her employer's health insurance plan. She often skips meals.