Community: Health Policy

Community health nurses need to know how to participate in the politocal process. To do this, they have to have comprehensive knowledge of the ______ _____ _____ and functions as well as a clear understanding of how these bodies interact and influence policy. 

community, state, and National government organizations

-The health care delivery system is influenced by policies and these policies are set by both the ______itself and then also by ________

Government , private equities

Nurses can influence political leaders to help make changes in the healthcare system that are beneficial to everyone. -They can do this by just becoming ____at the local, the state, or the National levels. 

active

And then when they become active and play a role, this allows them to communicate any concerns that they may have about the issues when it comes to healthcare as well as communicate any health needs of _____ or _____

indiviudals or communities aggregates.

nurses can be the powerful force that brings about change in the delivery and quality of health care of____

aggregates.

So the government in the United States consists of three separate levels. We have the

federal governments, the state government, and then the _local governments.

-So much of public health law (health of general population) is under ____ jurisdiction and as a result of this, it can vary from state to state.

state

-The federal government influences:

Health policy, indirectly and directly through the financing of healthcare for different groups.

Ex: medicare/medicaid

Federal government also influences the

regulation of activities.

Ex: Approval of drugs or medicines

 Federal government also sets standards

Ex: Set air quality standards.

So when it comes to the different decisions that affects the health of the public these decisions are made not only at every level of government but also in each _____of the government

branch

The constitution divided each level of government into three different branches including the

Legislative , judicial , and exectutive.

-For example, the legislative branch

enact tthe law

-The judicial branch provides

protection against any unjust governance and against professional_Malpractice, fraud, abuse

The separation and balance of powers among the three different branches is known as

Checks and balances.

-The executive branch administers and

enforces laws through different regulatory agencies

the point of checks and balances is basically to make sure that

not one branch holds too much power (SEPARATION OF POWERS)

-For example, the legislative branch makes the laws, but the president in the executive branch can Veto those laws with a

presidential veto

Another example, the legislative branch makes laws, but the judicial branch can declare those laws 

unconstitutional

As mentioned, there is a legislative, executive, and judicial branch of government at each 

level of government - federal, state, and local

FEDERAL LEVEL: The Executive Branch consists of the

president, vice president, cabinet

FEDERAL LEVEL: The Legislative Branch consists of Congress which is comprised of both the

House of representatives and the senate.

FEDERAL LEVEL:The Judicial Branch consists of the 

supreme court and other courts.

Remember, the legislative branch enacts the law and and the legislative branch at the federal level is going to consist of

congress

Congress consists of both the

Senate and the House of Representatives

Bicameralism ensures that the power to enact laws is

shared between the House of Representatives and by the Senate

A bill has to go through the two

legislative bodies - the House of Representatives and the SenatE

-Once the bill has successfully moved through the legislative body, it will then go to the

____branch which is the ____at the federal level who can then sign it to make it a law.

Executive

If the executive branch neither signs nor vetoes it, the bill becomes law by

default

If a bill was explicitly vetoed by the president, Congress can override that veto by

2/3

vote in both the House of Representatives and the Senate

Defeating a bill is usually easier than getting

one passed in the 1st place.

The Affordable Care Act (ACT) had many

supporters and opponents so there was still much debate after its implementation

Healthcare reform was a major issue during the

2012 and 2016 elections

The supreme court reviewed cases related to health care reform legislation but the court didn't

make any major changes

The debate continues on introducing new legislation when it comes to

Obamacare and healthcare costs

Public health policy refers to the

ecisions made by the legislative, executive, and judicial branches of one of the three levels of government (local, state, or federal)

Ultimately, these decisions can either direct or influence the ______of people

decisions

-Public health policies influence healthcare through monitoring

production provision and financing of healthcare services

Everyone is affected by this, from healthcare____all the way to _____

providers, consumers

Health policy influences big

corporations, nursing colleges, hospitals, and clinicals.

-Public policy can mean the difference between somebody having _____ and somebody not having ____

health insurance .

It affects the type of _______ that people can get and whether or not the care they receive is covered by their insurance

 care

It also can affect the cost of _______________________, and even what Services may be covered. 

prescription drugs, copay, deductible

Health policies can be made through both the

public and private sectors

For example, in the private sector, an insurance company or employer can determine what illnesses and preventative care is ______ by the insurance program, what drugs are included, and how much to charge for their insurance policy.

covered

Private sector includes employers, professional organizations, nonprofit healthcare organizations (American Heart Association) and

for-profit corporations that deliver, insure, or fund healthcare services outside of government control.

Private health policy is largely influenced by

economics and business management 

-On the other hand, public health policy is largely influenced by

social ad poltical theories

Private sector needs are determined by_____________________________________________is central in the private sector

consumerism, different market trends, and economics 

-In the public sector, needs are determined by

voting shits, electoral realignment , and term limits.

Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSHA) of 1970 focuses on

health needs and risk in the workplace and environment.

Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) offers protection for patient

Patient privacy and confidentiality. It protect your patients' rights to ____

Privacy

The Welfare Reform Act of 1996 restricted eligibility for Aid to

Families with Dependent Children (AFDC), Medicaid, and other federally funded welfare programs.

The Welfare Reform Act of 1996: Ultimately this law decreased the number of people on welfare and forced many people to take low paying jobs, many of which these low paying jobs did not offer health insurance.

As a result many individuals lost their ______coverage

medicaid

The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010 (Health Care Reform Act) was influenced by the increasing numbers of

underinsured and not insured U.S. citizens

This ACT subsidized premiums for lower income families.

Essentially, all U.S. citizens and legal residents had to have qualifying healthcare coverage whether it was provided through employers, individually purchased, or provided by federal plans so like

MEDICAID or MEDICARE.

It allowed individuals to stay on their parents health plan up until the age of  26.

-Continuing with the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010, in order to provide funding for MEDICARE and MEDICAID, we had to generate new

FEES and TAXES as well as different cost saving measures

-There are now taxes on

indoor tanning and new Medicare taxes for higher income brackets

-In addition, there are fees for

pharmaceutical companies and medical devices.

-There were cuts to Medicare Advantage programs and then reductions in

Medicare spending

The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) provide resources and information to the PUBLIC for use in the

development of policy by the government

TITLE 8 funding provides the largest source of federal funding for nursing education and it favors institutions that educate nurses for practice in

RURAL or UNDERSERVED communities

nursing education program:-These programs will provide ________ ________ ______for nursing students as well as nurses who want to continue their education on to the graduate level

LOANS, SCHOLARSHIPS , and SUPPORT

-One issue that's vital to effective healthcare delivery relates to _______

• Nurse____ is a big topic of concern.

-There's also a shortage of nursing______

nurse staffing

shortage

faculty

Nurses can influence different_________in various ways to make changes to the healthcare system that are beneficial for everyone

political leaders

One role is to act as change agents so they can communicate with elected officials at the local, state, and federal levels through ______ _______  _____

LETTERS, EMAILS, , or PERSONAL VISITS.

In addition, belonging to a __________, _________, or serving on ____________ helps to engage nurses in policy change

PROFESSIONAL ORGANIZATION

SPEAKING PUBLICALLY

ADVISORY BOARDS

When two or more groups join to maximize resources, increasing their influence and improving their chances of success in achieving a common goal, they form a

COALITION 

In the 1990s, the American Nurses Association joined 16 other organizations to help form a COALITION and this was known as the

Nurses for Healthier Tomorrow

The purpose of this coalition was to help address the shortage of NURSES, to raise money, to develop___________________________

In addition, this coalition aimed to encourage existing nurses to remain in the profession and remain at the bedside.

ADVERISTING CAMPAIGNS, and help recruit new NURSES.

We currently have over 100 different national nursing organizations and legislators who rely heavily on ____to educate them on different issues 

LOBBYISTS

Nurses are considered the most ____ healthcare providers and are considered _______. Nurses must be seen as a RELIABLE and CREDIBLE sources of information

TRUTHWORTHY

ETHICAL

Lobbyists need to provide ______ -________ information

-Some nursing organizations, such as the American Nurses Association, have full-time lobbyists to represent the interests of nurses.

ACCURATE, UP TO DATE

Nurses can also hold positions in public office at

all 3 levels of government