Hcs 455 the Policy Process: Part I Essay

Understanding the complex structure of the many health care subsystems in the United States goes a long way to explaining why it is often so hard to get anything done or to create change; a system this complicated does not move quickly or easily—or sometimes, at all. Understanding that the system is made up of multiple separate and unconnected collections of financing and provision of care reveals how difficult it is to carry out any reasonable system-wide planning for the entire system and the entire population (Williams, Torrens, 2007). For these reasons the implementation of the Affordable Care Act, the first of its kind in American history, may change the way policy is implemented in the future. The Affordable Care Act (ACA) was the first policy to be implemented while breaking almost all of the old legislative rules about communication and public comment and consumption.

Healthcare policy is dynamic and ever changing, especially in our society today with the many changes in government control, insurance company influence, and actual delivery of healthcare services. In order to corral our healthcare system and ensure that there is quality control amongst all populations, health policies must be put in place. Health policy is defined as many things due to its dynamic nature but the assigned text expresses a definition that encompasses all aspects of what health policy is for us today, “Authoritative decisions made in the legislative, executive, or judicial branches of government that are intended to direct or influence that actions, behaviors, or decisions of others”(Longest, p. 5, (2010)). Among the many reasons why health policy is pertinent to our society an aspect of health policy that I feel is most important is in regards to public health practices. Health policy is the reason why populations that whom otherwise would not receive the absolute needed healthcare, actually get to receive healthcare. The financial aspect of healthcare is quite steep and more often than not healthcare services are not sought out by populations because they cannot afford to do so. With health policy the policymakers allow for the proper and equal disbursement of goods and services to ensure that everyone is remaining healthy no matter what

In order to first start a policy process, the problem for which a policy is to be created must be identified and the policy holding a solution to the problem. Researchers and stakeholders will investigate the problem to identify if the policy will reach the policy making agenda. Policies must be to improve society’s health and wellbeing. In the United States (U.S.) public health related issues that require a formulation of a new policy and come from local, state, or federal legislations which ruling govern the provision of health care services and regulations. In this

Our healthcare system is in a state of constant change. Just as the industry was adapting to the demands of countless healthcare reforms, the fate of regulations like the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and others like it, dangle in the wind. As the country transitions to a newly appointed administration, there is an increasing level of uncertainty among industry leaders. Federal, state, and local mandates continue to drive the need to improve the quality, costs, and outcomes of care which add to an already overburdened and burnout system. These coupled with our highly secular society who is primarily focused on the treating and curing illness through advanced technology, medications, and procedures has resulted in a

Our healthcare system needs major restructuring. Major improvements needs to begin with "all health care organizations, professional groups, and private and public purchasers should adopt as their explicit purpose to continually reduce the burden of illness, injury, and disability, and to improve the health and functioning of the people of the United States", (Crossing the ……, 2001).

There are many reasons as to why each stage is implemented into the policies and procedures. Having guidelines and policies into place will allow everyone to understand that they must take the precautions with those who are infected with this disease. Health care providers must provider their services to those who are having issues such as HIV/AIDS on a personal level to allow them to feel comfortable to talk about the issue

There are certain steps to developing a health care policy. The first is the action taken after a legal or judicial decision can often lead to the creation of a new health policy or program. This can stem from any legal action taken against a physician or insurance company by a patient or their family. The second step is to develop the regulation, guidelines, and implementation for the new program, as they have been described in the new law. Many believe that the new health polices should be form by policy experts, but the use of health care professional can serve as an asset in developing these polices.

Healthcare in the United States is in a crisis situation. Healthcare costs are rising to the point where people are required to pay their health insurance premiums and deductibles over having enough money to cover groceries to feed the family. It seems our government is at odds in terms of the success with the Affordable Care Act and the outcomes we are witnessing from its’ implementation in our country. Many Americans understand the incentives of having healthcare insurance coverage and the benefits it can provide. With so many more individuals entering the healthcare insurance marketplace due to the guidelines of the Affordable Care Act we also see an impact to the supply and demand of healthcare availability and healthy outcomes.

There have been government programs in the past which have also attempted to make healthcare more accessible and affordable. Two such prominent programs are Medicare and Medicaid. Medicare provides health care coverage to the elderly, while Medicaid provides coverage to the poor. They were endorsed by President Johnson. However, even with the implementation of Medicare and Medicaid, which were enacted in 1965, there are many who are still uninsured (“Affordable Care Act”) . One of the goals of the Affordable Care Act was to help such individuals receive health care coverage. While attempting to garner support for the law, many of its advocates, including President Obama, also promised that those who already had coverage they were content would be able to keep it.

There are many private and public sectors of the health care system that go through an action or a process and these policies impact federal,

The most important stakeholder in the healthcare policymaking is probably the patient. In Massachusetts, the Act provided “nearly universal health insurance coverage” (case study). In 2009 the

Despite Trinity's plans to go ahead with work, having developed a five-year plan that lays out what would be accomplished in a certain bracket of time, the truth remains that healthcare does not operate in a vacuum. Trends that emerge in the national market are influenced by legislation, delivery of care, changes in payment methods, and social and economic conditions. Healthcare professionals monitor policy at the national level by reviewing legislative initiatives and analyzing rules and regulations. Understanding healthcare policy helps in facilitating grant reviews and in developing program initiatives,

Barriers to changes in health care policy/legislation at the state and federal level can be substantial. Implementation can be affected greatly by the planning process and feedback. “Without adequate planning to address potential barriers, implementation can fail miserably”, Milstead & Short, 2019).

Each branch of the government plays a huge role in the health care industry. There are five elements to policy enactment: impartial decision, accountability, obtaining complete and objective information, applying well-thought out criteria, and deciding on a meticulous and reasonable process. Prior to enacting any health care laws they must take each piece of information and examine it thoroughly. It has to be understood that edicts must undergo a complete process. (Larrat, Marcoux, Vogenberg, (2012), ncbi.nlm.nih.gov)

The Kyoto Protocol was the first step in a comprehensive security program but without the 2 largest world emitters of greenhouse gas - China and US. It was a small and crucial step to combat the issue.