The Lobbyist Group

Anderson, Amy. “The Impact of the Affordable Care Act on the Health Care Workforce.” The Heritage Foundation. N.p., n.d. Web. 14 July 2015. This paper is a through report on the impact of the ACA on the workers in healthcare, particularly on the ratio of worker to patients. It shows that the act will increase the physician shortage, particularly in already underserved areas and specialties. It will also greatly increase the stress on workers, due to the increase demand from each physician or nurse and the increased amount of regulatory paperwork required. Many healthcare providers are merging into larger business to cut costs; others are running cash-only or annual-fee models. The act attempts to transition to paying physicians for performance

In a pluralist democracy like in the United States, interest groups have played a major role throughout the history through highly organized factions and are aimed at different levels of government. Lobbying is one of the tactics of the interest groups to aid their agenda through implementing new laws and regulations. "If you want to have your face in the light, you should have your back in the dark". Similarly, the influences of the interests groups and lobbyists have good and bad effects on the people and the society.

The Affordable Care Act (ACA) has been a topic of dispute since its introduction and continues to be discussed by politicians in the U.S. and throughout the world even after its passage. The Act has many opponents and is the cause of much controversy nationwide, primarily because it introduces higher healthcare costs for the richest citizens. Nevertheless, the ACA is an important stage in the American healthcare development process as it not only allows more people to receive healthcare services, but will also reduce the deficit. However, not everyone agrees. The policy is controversial in terms of cost vs. benefits, but the benefits ultimately outweigh the costs.

Interest groups have a lot of influence over decision that the government makes and has made. These groups, when formed right, are highly organized and have a definite agenda they are trying to push that is important to them. Interest groups will lobby in congress as well as other levels of government to get new laws and regulations passed.

Big professional groups and organizations have influence in many realms, the ability to reach an extensive citizen base, and the manpower to achieve their goals. Business lobbies are the most numerous interest group, simply due to their great successes. Professional and business groups attract high-ranking individuals, lobbyists, and well-connected members with the abilities and networks to achieve group goals. Citizen groups often struggle to mobilize members or gain traction in an environment that is largely populated with corporations. For example, the U.S. healthcare industry spent $500 million in lobbying efforts in 2010 fighting to ensure low costs and against imposing governmental regulations (Janda et al., 261). However, regulation of the healthcare system by the government not only limits what providers can charge patients, but also impact provider’s profit margins. So, big healthcare corporations and professional organizations often lobby for the profit of their own entity and not always with the public good as the number one

The purpose of lobbying is to communicate to public officials the special interests of specific groups.

Unaffordable health insurance/coverage is a major issue in the United States (US). There is a lot of coverage in the news media about The Affordable Care Act (ACA) that was signed into law in 2010 by President Obama to aid in assist in health insurance for all residents of United States.the US. The purpose of this paper is to address some of the questions most frequently asked; 1. What is health care reform and specifically what is the ACA? 2. What benefits does one see for nursing? 3. What are Accountable Care Organizations and can this improve access to patient care?

Healthcare policy affects not only the cost citizens must pay for care, but also their access to care and the quality of care received, which can influence their overall health. A top concern for policymakers is the rising cost of healthcare, which has placed an increasing strain on the disposable income of consumers as well as on state budgets. Some of the organizations that have influenced healthcare policy include the American Medical Association, the AFL-CIO, and the American Association of Retired Persons (AARP), as well as large health insurance companies such as Kaiser Permanente and BlueCross/Blue Shield.

The AMA uses the mass media, policy formation, testimonies at legislative or agency hearings, direct and informal contact with legislators, and elections as their lobbying strategies for bill # H.R.1628 titled “American Health Care Act of 2017”. The legislative strategies they mainly use is their direct contact with legislators, because as was stated before, the AMA’s “representatives are leaders and political forces in every congressional district, every community in America.” The AMA has an extensive network of individuals, which makes it easy for them to get into contact with congressional actors. Some other strategies the AMA uses is that they support drafting regulation/shaping policy on agenda-setting, talking to journalists and using paid advertisements. In David Trumans’ book, “Basic Interests: The Importance of Interest Groups in Politics and Political Science”, spends an entire chapter describing the dynamics of access in the legislative process. For example, an important factor to keep in mind is that “The legislature as a part of the institution of government embodies, albeit incompletely, the expectations, understandings, and values prevailing in the society concerning how the government should operate.” The AMA is like that of a heavy tank on a battlefield crushing the competition (other interest groups) in US legislature. They understand that their ideas and beliefs can be implemented into legislature and can affect the way the US government operates. Another conception of Truman’s “dynamics of access” is that of “"pressure," conceived as bribery or coercion in various forms, which is scarcely the distinguishing feature of interest groups in the legislative process. Such coercion is frequently attempted, of course, and it often has an observable effect.” The AMA is known for its lobbying efforts and overall impact in the

Health care in the United States is driven by a patchwork of services and financing. Americans access health care services in a variety of ways — from private physicians’ offices, to public hospitals, to safety-net providers. This diverse network of health care providers is supported by an equally diverse set of funding streams. The United States spends almost twice as much on health care as any other country, topping $2 trillion each year. (WHO.INT 2000) However, even with overall spending amounting to more than $7,400 per person, millions of individuals cannot access the health care services they need.(Foundation 2009) So when the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (a.k.a the Affordable Care Act or ACA) was passed in the summer

“Interest groups are no less a threat than they are an expression of freedom” (Berry, 1984).

ANA continues to deliver nursing's message, provide resources, develop solutions and take action to ensure the successful implementation of the health reform law. Furthermore, the American Nurses Association also continues to serve the interests of the nation’s nurses and the patients they serve (American Nurses Association (2015).The ACA provides stronger rights, patients’ protection, better access to quality health, and more affordable coverage for many including a strengthened Medicare. Other benefits include private insurer that provide coverage for million Americans. However, Americans must justify double-digit premium increases, and nearly 76 million Americans are covered by insurers that are now required to spend at least 80% of premium

People are important for the success of democracy. After electing their representatives, some individuals wish to be more involved in legislative decisions that affect them, so they take to lobbying and joining interest groups. This often provides them with an atmosphere of individuals who think like they do, while also allowing them to play more of a role than just voting for a few people to represent them. Lobbying and interest groups also allow for issues to be brought to the attention of the legislature and provide a way for these groups to talk to the legislators, whether it is over dinner or at a concert. By voicing their opinions and placing pressures on the legislation, these groups have become successful in fighting for their passions and their views on important

Sometimes a lobbyist can only get a couple minutes of their time, so the lobbyist must be prepared to make what they are going to say to persuade them fast. Lobbyist usually provide arguments, confirmation, and research to maintain their group situations. Many government officials don’t have time to research the issues themselves, so they depend on the information that interest groups and lobbyists provide to keep them informed and up to speed. Even though persuasion is a very important part of lobbying, interest groups also provide some material incentives to government officials. Also, what wealthy interest groups usually do is contribute to campaigns, and run advertisements to reach their goal. Another useful method interest groups use to accomplish what they want is boycotting, or declining to purchase an organizations

However, lobbying for votes or influence is far from easy and can’t guarantee results by simply handing over a check. From 2007 to 2011 the American Medical Association spent around $19 million dollars annually trying highlight important issues and hope to sway votes in favor of legislation reflecting their views. In 2015, the AMA has 15 lobbyist and have spent a total of $6,720,000 although not much progress has been seen.