Power, Politics, and Universal Health Care, Essay Example

Health policies represent a means of developing a framework that will utilize monetary resources effectively to accommodate patient care needs. It is necessary to evaluate the conditions under which health services are available and to allocate monetary resources to improve outcomes for the end user. In addition, the human resources component must facilitate conversations regarding achieving effective operations and support systems for healthcare services on a continuous basis. This also reflects a need to employ qualified individuals who are able to develop practical policies and execute said policies effectively over the long term. This process also requires the implementation of information technologies that will serve a practical need within the healthcare arena and also reflects an ever-changing landscape regarding healthcare services that continues to grow in scope and purpose (Buntin, Burke, Hoaglin, & Blumenthal, 2011). It is expected that the formation of new health policies and the revision of existing policies must both support a technology-based framework that will have lasting and viable benefits for its users, including patients, which will benefit healthcare practices.

The demanders of health policies include patients, who anticipate that these policies will be in their best interests and in supporting their healthcare needs. At the same time, the demanders also include physicians and healthcare providers who require some degree of governance to meet their needs in treating patients with the best possible resources in place. This supports their cause in managing their patients in a high quality manner that will improve quality of life. At the same time, it is evident that the suppliers of health policies include leaders of healthcare organizations who establish governance over their operations in a manner that is consistent with the objectives of improving healthcare delivery. The suppliers of healthcare also include insurance providers who provide coverage that enables patients to access healthcare services. However, this coverage has its limitations and does not always provide the desired level of coverage. In many ways, the political landscape does not do any real favors to the healthcare industry because it limits the ability of many providers to serve their patients effectively when political conflicts continue to erupt in many different areas (Berwick, 2013). This creates further damage to the healthcare landscape and its ability to accommodate patients at the anticipated level to support improvements in health and wellbeing. Therefore, political involvement in healthcare presents a negative perception and a limited ability to improve outcomes for patients across all age groups.

Public policy influence is strong in many areas and reflects a need to further examine the power and focus that exists within this realm. Most importantly, it is necessary to determine what steps are required to enable public policy influence to have a positive impact on healthcare practice rather than to serve as a negative deterrent, and this is an important step towards the discovery of new ideas and approaches to support healthcare improvements. Patients must feel as if they are important within the healthcare equation, and this is important in the development of relationships that promote patient and healthcare value. Influence within the public policy sector is significant on many levels and requires an examination of the key principles that impact organizational wellbeing. It is imperative to recognize the extent of power of this process and what steps are required to ensure that healthcare practices are congruent with policies, but that they are also practical in nature to ensure that patients are provided with much needed resources and policies to support the practice environment. There is a continuous struggle between public policy and the efforts required by organizations to make a real difference in healthcare practice; therefore, power struggles impact how organizations respond to the needs of their patients and the services that they provide are strongly evident (Altman, 2011). It is imperative that public policy leaders and makers are able to recognize the bigger picture and to ensure that their actions are not too excessive to the point that they impact patient quality of care and other resources that are available.

Rulemaking is an essential component of contemporary society in order to achieve some semblance of order and to promote opportunities for growth that impact decision-making at the organizational and individual levels. This process requires an examination of the key variables which impact change and the steps that are required to facilitate an effective response to the degree that it impacts how individuals experience improvements in their lives. However, many persons and groups have their own specific agendas which often complicate matters and create tension among groups with competing interests. In many cases, special interest groups have the ability to set their own agendas and to have significant influence and oversight regarding decision-making that impacts the wellbeing of a set of rules and governance in different ways. It is important for organizations to recognize the influence of special interest groups, who often have the ability to persuade ruling bodies to make specific decisions that have a significant impact on their own interests, rather than the best interests of a larger governing body. Under these conditions, it is important to recognize that interest groups are highly influential in establishing rules and in supporting a dynamic that is based upon their own specific agendas (Grossmann, 2012). From this perspective, it is important to develop strategies that encompass supportive rulemaking and agendas which have a wider reach, rather than those with specific considerations of smaller groups or interests. It is necessary to establish a framework whereby rulemakers are able to govern based upon the needs of the larger population or community, rather than on smaller segments.

Policy analysis plays a significant role in developing new policies for consideration within a given organization. It is the responsibility of policy makers to aim to make a difference over the long term by evaluating existing agendas and aiming to overcome any obstacles in governing due to changing environmental conditions through policy-based modifications that support these changes. Policy analysis involves many different agencies within the federal government, such as the Congressional Budget Office (CBO), which plays a significant role in providing budgetary information to Congress so that its members are able to make the appropriate decisions to keep the federal government funded without delays or restrictions. This organization is nonpartisan in nature and provides a basis for exploring a variety of budgetary policies and procedures that impact individuals and organizations in different ways (CBO.gov, 2015). The agency also enables Congress to evaluate the viability of different programs which already receive funding or which may be eligible for funding for a given purpose (CBO.gov, 2015). These considerations support the need for further consideration and guidance in advancing the objectives of budgetary decision-making for Congressional members and their constituents (CBO.gov, 2015).

Medicare Part D was established in response to a need for improvements in prescription drug coverage for primarily lower income recipients without existing coverage (Hoadley, 2006). This represents a means of supporting a policy that supports prescription drug coverage for those in need, but to also recognize that the costs of such a program must be controlled in order to have lasting benefits for its users, based upon policy considerations (Hoadley, 2006). It is necessary to evaluate this plan with respect to the policy that it supports, given the limitations and challenges of developing an environment where all persons are able to receive prescription drugs to support their health needs on a continuous basis without delays and which will impact the costs associated with providing healthcare services for patients throughout the life span. This process requires an examination of key principles that support Medicare Part D and how it benefits those who qualify.

References

Altman, S. (2011). Power, Politics, and Universal Health Care: the Inside story of a century-long battle. Prometheus Books.

Berwick, D.M. (2013). The toxic politics of healthcare. Journal of the American Medical Association,310(18), 1921-1922.

Buntin, M.B., Burke, M.F., Hoaglin, M.C., & Blumenthal, D. (2011). The benefits of health information technology: a review of the recent literature shows predominantly positive                    results. Health Affairs, 30(3), 464-471.

CBO.gov (2015). Congressional Budget Office. Retrieved from http://www.cbo.gov

Grossmann, M. (2012). The not-so-special interests: interest groups, public representation,  and American governance. Stanford University Press.

Hoadley, J. (2006). Medicare’s new adventure: the Part D benefit. The Commonwealth Fund, retrieved from

http://www.commonwealthfund.org/~/media/files/publications/fund-report/2006/mar/medicares-new-adventure–the-part-d-drug-benefit/hoadley_medicaresnewadventure_911-pdf.pdf