Healthcare Policy in the US

tumefynessc ar Policy in the USA well(p)ness oversee constitution is a set of rules and regulations that ar put into effect to assist in the operation and the shape of wellness delivery. A wellness premeditation form _or_ system of government c overs a range of issue including public wellness, chronic illness and disability, long-term help, the support of health flush, deterrent health burster and mental health. thither are two models of a health care which consist of the single payer and the amic commensurate amends system. In the single payer model, taxes are paid to the brass which then pays healthcare providers such as nurses, doctors, and dentists to provide health serve to individuals. In a social insurance system, citizens must(prenominal) purchase health insurance from non-profit insurance companies who will then use this health insurance to pay for services provided by healthcare providers. healthcare is financed through and through mystical insuran ce companies which individuals discharge access through their employers and for the m w stack Ameri baths that are uninsured, in that respect are three chopinemes in which they can go through called Medicare, Medicaid, and The commonwealth Childrens Health Insurance Program. Medicare mainly deals with Americans who are over the maturate of 65 or dis satisfactoryd. Medicaid deals with volume who are of low income or whitethornbe separate as existence poor. The State Childrens Health Insurance Program deals with stack who are uninsured or low income children. in that location are so more aspects that can make up healthcare indemnity and at that place will be many more(prenominal) that will own an daze on healthcare in the future.Principles of US Health PolicyThere are many principal features of the United States health form _or_ system of government, but to comprise a few critical ones are brass as subordinate word to the private celestial sphere fall apart, a dditive, and piecemeal reform pluralistic politics the decentralized role of the domains and the impact of presidential leadership. These key characteristics of health insurance policy maneuver together or separately to pressure the progress and growth of health policy to benefit the country.The United Sates is one of the few countries in the initiation that does assume a national health care system where their establishment pays the studyity and is the leader in the health care organization. That is non the topic in the US. The private sector is the leader and the government takes a keystone seat in the majority of the development of health policies. It is funny that Americans privilege to have as less involvement from the government as contingent in relation to health care financial backing, delivery, and policy. Being a cap nation we are under the notion that the private sector can out dress organize and operate the production and consumption of goods and servi ces in our country rather than the government.The US health care system is fragmented so much that it is almost impossible to track. Employers provide a spontaneous insurance program to their employees that are paid for through payments from employees and employers together. Then you have the elderly you are covered through Social Security tax, government subsidized voluntary insurance for physician, supplementary, and prescription drug coverage. The indigent bring forth health care through Medicaid which is funded through national, state, and local revenues. American Indians, Congress, members of the arm forces, Veterans, and the executive branch have health insurance that is financed through the federal government directly. Any type of reform in America is incremental and piecemeal especially health care. For example Medicaid has had many much essential interpolates since its beginning in 1965. First, Congress transmitd the policy to have more children perform eligible and in 1984 pregnant women and children in two parent families were allow health care if income restrictions were met. Policy changes are met with an array of complex policy- devising roadblocks that make much needed reform difficult to accomplish. Often it takes a revolutionary presidential election to overcome such barriers.As in any separate policy debates in the US politics fill radicals pluralism have an effect on the health policy. Powerful interest groups twisting in health care politics adamantly resist any major change (Alford 1975). Each group deeply believes that their interests are the best and will fight very hard to protect their interest. For instance, American familiarity of Retired Persons (AARP) is a nonprofit, nonpartisan membership organization for American citizens over the age of 50. They are one of the most powerful lobbying groups in the United States with over 40 million members. Because they are such a well nonionised interest group they are very effecti ve in influencing the determinations on policies that affect the seniors in this country.A decentralized role of the states has its pros and cons. The states provide monetary support for the indigent and disabled through comprehensive health care programs. They in like manner take on the additional right of implementing the governments Medicaid and SCHIP programs for the elderly and children. On the flip side critics have suggested thither is too much state conceal in regards to health policy changes. With each state having look into over their own health policy closes makes it extremely difficult to give a unified national health care policy.New presidents have always been the stepping stone for policy changes in America. Every president from Johnson to supply has made an attempt to reform health care in several(prenominal) shape or form. The most recent major historical change has come with the election of President Obama. He has done what no other President has done, He alth tending Reform. He is putting the control of peoples health care needs in their own hands. President Obamas presidential leadership impact will reform health care by qualification it more affordable, making insurance companies accountable for their actions, and provide coverage to all Americans.Development of legislative health policyHealth policy is a set course of action undertaken by governments or health care organizations to obtain a desired health outcome (Cherry Trotter Betts, 2005). The health care system, including the public and private segment, with the policy-making forces influence how systems are influence by the health care policy-making processes. Public health policies exposit from local, state, or federal legislation, regulations which manage the terms of health care services. There are also institutional or business policies related to health care in addition to public policies. In the private sector the policies are developed by hospitals, accrediting organizations, or managed care organizations. Nurses, the largest number of health care providers are the most familiar with institutional policies including those developed and implement by the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations.The finality making in the public or the private sector, the scope of the issue, and the nature of the policy all have an impact on the characteristics of a policy (Thurber,1996). A basic understanding of the policy process is the first step in having a strategy on how to encourage potential power and control weighty changes in the health care system. It is a process that uses three-fold panes of access in order to provide a vision that influences the decision makers involved at each stage. There are three stages of policy making the formulation stage, the execution and the evaluation stage. In the formulation stage, scuttlebutt of development, ideas, organizations, research from key people and interest groups are put toge ther. The implementation stage involves disseminating the collected information and starting to put the policy into action. During this stage, the proposed policy is transformed into a plan of action (International Council of Nurses, 2005). Public policy endorsed by local, state, or federal governmental identities is usually put into practice through the normal process that interprets the policy into a written set of rules issued by the government agency that is liable for overseeing the policy.All concerned groups contribute in the development of health care policy by providing necessary information needed to decide on the implementation. Nurses are a very important part in the preparation and implementation of the policy. As the largest one group of health care providers, nurses can successfully sponsor health care policy project they also have a distinctive point of view on health care policies and expertise to share with the responsible agents. Nurses are a strong voice and act ive advocated group that leads to plus change and build consensus on important issues.The policy process also includes an evaluation and modification phase when existing policies are revisited and may be amended or rewritten to adjust to changing circumstances (Longest, 2006). Most major public policies are subject to modifications in this process. Smaller changes in already existing policies are usually easier to be apply than major changes as less clarification and efforts are required to be implemented. A good example would be when the Medicare Program has undergone since its enactment in 1965. Another change is when the U.S. Congress in 1998 added nurse practitioners and clinical nurse specialists as providers that can bill for Part B services they provide to Medicare beneficiaries. Congress has changed Medicare program many clippings after that and put a number of preventive services to the Medicare program. The most recent change was done to Medicare Part D and added a pres cription drug program available for Medicare beneficiaries.Health care issue moves through the phases of the policy process, from a proposal to an actual program that can be enacted, implemented, and evaluated, the policy process is impacted by the preferences and influences of take officials, other individuals, organizations, and special interest groups (Longest, 2006). Political interactions take place when people get involved in the process of making decisions, making compromises, and victorious actions that determine who gets what in the health care system. Special interest groups and individuals with a stake in the fate of a health care policy use all kinds of influencing, communication, negotiation, conflict management, critical thinking, and problem solving skills in the political arena to obtain their desired outcome (Cherry Trotter Betts, 2005 Kalisch Kalisch, 1982).Health care system is continuously changing, nurses in many institutions are taking the advocacy role, w orking together to reflect nursings perception in health care policies and to be implemented. However, the legislative process needs to be well understood and policy advocates should be aware that they may run the risk of exposure of working with the wrong people or at the wrong time and therefore the policy may not be established. Well disposed(p) professionals can always find ways to promote for a best(p) health care system. For the more experienced professional there are many resources available to nurse policy advocates who want to learn more about how to make a difference in key health care issues using legislative and policy processes and working within the political arena.The Future of Health PolicyThe future of health policy is unidentified and difficult to predict. The US has struggled with conquering the health care system as one comprehensive unit. Instead, there have been individual attempts at specialised problems, resulting in fragmented solutions. The anti-sociali st views of the US citizens have thus far prevented a nationalized health care system, but this has not and will not quit many influential leaders from trying. Regardless of health care being a universal or disjointed system, the future of health policy aims at containing be, increasing access, and improving quality.On March 2010, President Obama subscribe a health care reform bill. A preliminary project claims that the bill will reduce the deficit by $130 zillion in the first ten years and by $1.2 trillion in the next ten years (Jackson Nolen, 2010). State-based insurance exchanges will be implemented as a way to purchase insurance for those who do not have access through their employer. The Medicare prescription coverage donut hole will be closed by 2020 and seniors will receive a 50% discount on brand name medications. Medicaid will be expanded, will include childless adults, and illegal immigrants will not be eligible. Insurance companies will no longer be able to defy co verage based on preexisting conditions and children will be able to stay on their parents insurance plans until age 26. Beginning in 2014, there will be an individual mandate that everyone must have health insurance or have to pay a fine, with exceptions for low-income people. Employers with greater than 50 employees will be required to offer health insurance. There is no telling what the ultimate success will be of this bill, as it is a continued hot debate between political parties, but it puts many definition on the future of health policy.The role of state governments in health care has become more substantial. They hold the majority of the responsibility for regulating all aspects of the health care system. In addition, states contribute to financing Medicaid services, finance health coverage for state/public employees and retirees, and subsidize the costs of health care services for the uninsured. States also have the role of protect the publics health through controlling the spread of communicable diseases, protecting the environment, preventing injuries, promoting hygienic behaviors, responding to disasters, providing health services to those without access, monitoring the populations health status, and developing health care policies to benefit the community. The future of health policy shows that states will continue to perform these roles.ConclusionIn closing, we feel that an issue such as healthcare must be thought through and have a decision made based on the need of the American peoples as well as the needs of the American economy. By this we mean that a decision should be developed based on a way to hold up this great country from going bankrupt or prevent the American people from going broke when a plan goes into effect. In todays world, the U.S health Care System of today is turning into a disaster because many people are getting to the point to where they are not able to afford healthcare services due to the fact that they are not able to afford it or have lost their jobs are may have partial health care benefits. We feel that all Americans must try to stand up for what they believe and fight for a healthcare policy that will enable everyone to be able to have healthcare coverage so that our government will see that there is a need for a change in the future.Resources1. Shi, L. Singh, D.A. (2008.) Delivering Health Care in America A Systems Approach (4th ed.). Sudbury, MA Jones and Bartlett Publishers2. Jackson, J. Nolen, J. (March 23, 2010). Health Care Reform Bill Summary A Look At Whats in the Bill. cbsnews.com. Retrieved, April 20, 2010, from http//www.cbsnews.com/8301-503544_162-20000846-503544.html.3. Alford, R. R. 1975. Health Care Politics Ideology and interest group barriers to reform. scratch University of Chicago Press.4. S M Williams-Crowe and T V Aultman, State health agencies and the legislative policy process. Retrieved from http//www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1403499/?page=15. Pamela White, Tobie H. Olsan, Carolanne Bianchi, Theresa Glessner, Pamela Mapstone, Legislative Searching for Health Policy Information on the Internet An Essential Advocacy Skill. Retrieved from http//www.nursingworld.org/MainMenuCategories/ANAMarketplace/ANAPeriodicals/OJIN