Chapter 13 - Health Policy

Allocative tools

Policy used by government for the direct provision of income, services, or goods to certain groups of individuals or institutions.

Distributive policies

Spread benefits throughout society. Typical distributive policies include funding of medical research through the NIH, the construction of facilities (e.g., hospital construction under the Hill-Burton program during the 1950s and 1960s), and the establishment of new institutions (e.g., HMOs).

Health policy

"The aggregate of principles, stated or unstated, that . . . characterize the distribution of resources, services, and political influences that impact on the health of the population."

Public policies

Authoritative decisions made in the legislative (congressional), executive (presidential), or judicial (courts, including the Supreme Court) branches of government that are intended to direct or influence the actions, behaviors, or decisions of others.

Redistributive policies

Take resources from one group and give it to another—a system that often creates visible beneficiaries and payers.

Regulatory tools

Policy used by government to prescribe and control the behavior of a particular target group by monitoring the group and imposing sanctions if it fails to comply.