Healthcare Policy Analysis: Healthcare Policy in the US

This healthcare policy analysis report examines the US healthcare system, with a focus on the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and its impact. The report identifies key policy issues, including entitlement reform, drug pricing, and the needs of the uninsured and medically underserved populations. It explores policy options such as reimbursement for medication and physician costs, and analyzes their potential impacts. The analysis considers decision criteria like facility inclusion and coverage limits. The report recommends policies targeting the elderly, unemployed, and those with substance abuse issues. It emphasizes the importance of health awareness and socio-economic considerations, proposing changes to improve healthcare access and reduce morbidity within these vulnerable groups. The analysis highlights the need for comprehensive healthcare reform, including inclusion of health care facilities and a focus on vulnerable populations. The report's findings offer insights into health policy and recommendations for the betterment of the health care system.

Running head: HEALTHCARE POLICY ANALYSIS
HEALTHCARE POLICY ANALYSIS
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author Note

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HEALTHCARE POLICY ANALYSIS
Introduction
Health policies are intended to provide support subsidies the health care costs of the
people under the poverty level or the middle income groups. The people would have the
profits of the health care reimbursement can be placed under the employees of different
companies. Thus the health care policies should be provided by the employers, tax subsidies
and also changing rate regulation should be provided by the government as well (Rand.org,
2019). All these factors are put into action by the implementation of The Patient Protection
and Affordable Care Act (ACA) (Rand.org, 2019). Hence, it can be stated that the aspect of
the health care policies in United States depends on this health care act. However, it can be
seen that there is many protests had been conducted by different political parties in order to
expand the Medicaid factor of the ACA to change or reform the reimbursement of the context
of the physician cost, medication cost or other costs regarding the health care policies for the
individuals (Rand.org, 2019). On this context it can be seen that there are different health care
policies and also specific issues regarding all these health care policies in US. In the
following section the aspects of the Health care policies of US would be discussed in
accordance with the ACA, issues of the health care policies and also recommendations for the
reformation of the health care policy in US.
Policy Issues
In 2010 the ACA act has been put forward for covering all the American resident’s
health care costs and also lowering the cost of the health care in the country. This reformation
primarily affected the insurance industry of the country as the health care policy financing is
dependent on the third party companies in the insurance industry of the company. Thus there
is a huge protest put on against ACA act along with the expansion of Medicaid policy
(Obama, 2016). The Proponents stated that the act will help in the lowering of health care
cost and also improve the health care access among the people of the country. On the other

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hand the opponents stated that this act will increase the cost of the health care and also lower
the quality of care (Ballotpedia, 2019). Hence, it can be stated that despite of the development
of ACA was intended for the betterment of the health care providence to the below poverty
level people it has not been considered by other people including the opponent political
parties and also the insurance company. On the other hand there are 7 most evident issues
found that can affect the health policies of the country namely entitlement reform,
prescription drug pricing, 340B drug pricing program, opiods, pandemic and all hazard
preparedness, president’s emergency plan for aid reliefs and health workforce program
(Kleinberg et al., 2015). On this context it can be stated that the health care policies should
consider all these issues in order to provide proper reimbursement and also health care access
to all the people in the country. Hence, it can be stated that the reformation of the health care
policy would be required in a specific and also the more considerable way for the low income
and unemployed people as well. The factor of the policy should focus on the health outcomes
and the health care access for the low income and the elderly people.
Policy Options
The policy would be focusing on the lower income group people and also the elderly
retired people. The main focus of the policy would be the reimbursement of the cost of the
medication and also cost of the physician for the treatment. On this context it can also be
stated that the factor of the policy would be reimbursing the 70 percent of the cost of the
treatment. However, the reimbursement would be depending on the proper documentation of
the cost of the treatment and if the documentation will not be specific and clear then the
factor of the reimbursement would be in hold. Hence, the documentation such as the
prescriptions and also the financial receipts should be authorized as well. On this context it
can also be stated that the process would be depending on the cost of the treatment as well as
there are specific disease and specific amount would be reimbursed by the policy.

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HEALTHCARE POLICY ANALYSIS
Policy Analysis
Based on the policy description it would be highlighted that the policy will reimburse
a specific amount of cost for the treatment depending on the disease, cost and also the
documentation. However, if there is any kind of dispute regarding the substantial abuse by
the client then maximum policy will negate the reimbursement of the cost for the client. If
substantial abuse including tobacco, alcohol or any other drug would be the cause of the
disease then the policy would not be liable for the reimbursement of the cost of the treatment
for the client. Hence, it can be stated that the policies will only cover the present medical
condition of the client and eliminate the concerns of the medical history of the client. Thus it
can be stated that the people affected with any kind of abusive activity regarding drugs or any
other substances would be the most vulnerable group of people in accordance with the
policies (Hacker et al., 2015). Hence, providing support to these vulnerable people would
help in the health care access increase and also the reducing the morbidity among these
people. Other than these it has also been seen that the factor of the health care policies would
be dependent on the hospital facility and sometimes it has been seen that several hospitals or
health care facilities are not under the health care policy list. Hence, the policies would be
providing specific facilities to the clients and consider very less aspects of the health care
costs as well. Thus the inclusion of almost all the health care facilities under the health care
policy and also the limit of the coverage amount increasing would help in the proper
providence of health care to the people seeking the health care support (Artiga & Hinton,
2018).
Decision Criteria
The changes in the policy would be requiring the decision making about the
consideration of the cost reimbursement policy changing which is as follows:
 Inclusion of large amount of health care facility under the health care policy.

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HEALTHCARE POLICY ANALYSIS
 Inclusion of the consideration of the vulnerable groups such as the addicted people
and diseases related to these habits.
 Coverage amount limit hike also would be considered.
Policy Recommendation
On the basis of the above discussed factors it can be recommended that the target of
this policy would be the elderly people, unemployed people and the people are addicted to
different mal practices. On this context it can be stated that the factor of the cost reduction for
the insurance policy would be done with the help of the health awareness development
among the people with addictive nature. On the other hand the factor of the reimbursement
should be done with the consideration of the socio-economic structure of the clients and also
target the people under the poverty level and also unemployed. Thus the changes can be
acquired by the proper implementation of all these factors and also considering the ACA act
for the common good for the people who does not have the proper access to the health care
facility due to inadequate monetary support.

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HEALTHCARE POLICY ANALYSIS
References
Ballotpedia. (2019). Healthcare policy in the United States - Ballotpedia. Retrieved 18
August 2019, from https://ballotpedia.org/Healthcare_policy_in_the_United_States
Kleinberg, J., Ludwig, J., Mullainathan, S., & Obermeyer, Z. (2015). Prediction policy
problems. American Economic Review, 105(5), 491-95.
Hacker, K., Anies, M., Folb, B. L., & Zallman, L. (2015). Barriers to health care for
undocumented immigrants: a literature review. Risk management and healthcare
policy, 8, 175.
Obama, B. (2016). United States health care reform: progress to date and next steps. Jama,
316(5), 525-532.
Artiga, S., & Hinton, E. (2018). Beyond health care: the role of social determinants in
promoting health and health equity. Health, 20, 1-10.
Rand.org. (2019). Medicaid. Retrieved 18 August 2019, from https://www.rand.org/health-
care/key-topics/health-policy/medicaid.html
Rand.org. (2019). Affordable Care Act. Retrieved 18 August 2019, from
https://www.rand.org/health-care/key-topics/health-policy/aca.html
Rand.org. (2019). U.S. Health Care Policy. Retrieved 18 August 2019, from
https://www.rand.org/health-care/key-topics/health-policy.html