The Policy Process 1

The Policy Process 1

Rebecca Clements

HCS 455 Health Care Policy: The Past and the Future

University of Phoenix

October 22, 2012

Stephen T. Gregoire

Abstract

A health policy is a specific health care goal defined as a decision, plan, and actions. A policy defines a vision for the future, informs society, builds consensus, outlines priorities, and identifies specific roles of stakeholders and groups. Throughout the Nation patient access to affordable health care is an ongoing issue, topics of concern are financing, access to care, quality of care, delivery of health care and healthy equity. This paper will provide information about policy process, the informational stage, legislative stage, and the implementation stage. These three main stages exist in the process to transform a topic, such as The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act into policy.

The Policy Process 1

The first step in the formulation of a policy is to identify and outline the problem through recognition, extensive research from individuals, groups, organizations, and interest groups. Determining how aware society is of the issue and the urgency. Deciding, who is going to participate in the policy process and the means to accomplishing an appropriate implementation period. After an extensive study is done identifying the problem, a new policy is formulated by developing an effective and acceptable course of action or actions. Addressing specific agendas, suggestions of alternative solutions, identifying possible obstacles and setting goals.. In the case of The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act details specific areas to change the United States health care system introduced in September 2009 (MM+A Insurance Services, 2010). This system will transform health care insurance within the United States through a shared interest and responsibility taking on a reform to eliminate any discriminatory issues disallowing people to...