DNP 820 Health Policy and Advocacy

Module 6 Discussion

DQ1 Evaluate the online resources on page 203 of your text. Which sites are the easiest to navigate? From which sites did you gain the most knowledge on health policy issues in your state and at the federal level?

DQ2 Synthesize the top five issues being debated in health care currently. Apply that knowledge to patient care in your health care organization and/or the community. Will it change care delivery? How?

 

MORE INFO 

Top issues being debated in health care currently

Introduction

Health care is a very complicated topic. There are many different issues that researchers and policy makers are debating. The following list includes the most important health care issues currently being discussed:

The future of the Affordable Care Act

The Affordable Care Act (ACA) is a law that provides health care coverage to millions of people. It’s being debated in the courts and Congress, but it’s also known as Obamacare.

The ACA was created by President Barack Obama in 2010 to help increase access to affordable health insurance for all Americans, especially those who live in poverty or have preexisting conditions like cancer or heart disease. Most people know how this works: If you aren’t insured, then your income isn’t high enough to qualify for Medicaid or Medicare—and if you do qualify for one of those programs but still can’t afford private insurance premiums on top of that cost burden, then it’s easy enough just not get any medical care at all until something really bad happens (which could be years down the road).

But what happens when we’re talking about covering everyone? How do we make sure everyone has access without pushing costs through the roof? Couldn’t this lead us into bankruptcy territory?

Prescription drug costs

Prescription drug costs are one of the most important issues in health care. In order to address this issue, it is necessary for governments to increase their oversight and support of research and development. Companies need to be more transparent about their costs, especially when they are charging exorbitant amounts for their products.

The government should also increase its support for research programs that help develop new drugs at affordable prices, as well as promote transparency among pharmaceutical companies so consumers can make better decisions about which drugs they should purchase or not purchase based on cost alone.

Anti-vaccination trends

In this section, we’ll look at the reasons people are choosing not to vaccinate their children. We’ll also look at how these anti-vaccination trends impact health care and what can be done to combat them.

The first reason that some parents do not want their children vaccinated is concern about side effects from vaccines. There have been many studies conducted over the years on this topic, but none have shown a definitive link between vaccines and autism or any other serious disorder in children. Other parents may simply believe that they know better than doctors whom they should listen to when it comes time for them to make decisions about their own families’ health care needs

Biomedical research

Biomedical research is a major source of funding for universities, private companies and the federal government.

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) provides grants to researchers at universities around the country. This money enables them to pursue medical research projects that could lead to new treatments or cures for diseases like cancer or heart disease.

Private companies also rely on biomedical research for their products and services: pharmaceutical manufacturers like Merck & Co Inc, Pfizer Inc., Amgen Inc., Eli Lilly & Co., Johnson & Johnson Pharmaceutical Companies International Ltd., Abbott Laboratories Ltd., Bristol-Myers Squibb Company (BMS) – all use this type of science behind their brands’ success!

Mental health resources

Mental health is an important issue, and one that can be difficult to address. There are many factors that contribute to mental health issues, including stress at work or school. Certain people may also have more difficulty coping with difficult situations than others.

Mental health resources may not always be available when you need them most—for example, if a friend has lost their job or experienced other forms of hardship in their life. And even when they are available, it’s still possible for them not to be helpful enough in treating your specific symptoms (or preventing future ones).

If you’re having trouble coping with something stressful in your life right now—like an illness or injury—it’s important not only for yourself but also for anyone around you who cares about how well they know what’s going on inside their friend/family member(s). It may feel like there aren’t any resources out there right now which will help solve whatever problems might arise during this time period; however there definitely are ways we can all support each other as best we can while still providing emotional support through words alone!

These top issues are discussed and debated by researchers, policy makers and health care leaders.

Health care is a topic that has been debated and discussed for years. The Affordable Care Act, or Obamacare, is one of the most recent issues affecting health care in America. The ACA was created by President Barack Obama to help lower costs for Americans who don’t receive coverage through their jobs or families.

Prescription drug costs are also an issue being debated by researchers, policy makers and health care leaders alike; they have risen dramatically over the last few years due to increasing competition among companies seeking higher profits at any cost (including charging more than their competitors). This can have adverse effects on patients’ quality of life as well as their wallets if they don’t have access to affordable prescriptions available through insurance plans offered under Obamacare like Medicare Part D (which helps with paying for some brand name drugs).

Anti-vaccination trends have become more widespread since 1999 when measles were declared eliminated from North America thanks largely due efforts made by public health officials working together with communities across different states where vaccination rates had dropped significantly since then due mostly because parents feared what might happen if their children contracted measles instead getting vaccinated against it beforehand.”

Conclusion

As you can see, there are many issues that affect health care today. The Affordable Care Act is one of them, but there are many other important ones as well. Hopefully by reading this article you were able to learn more about the most important ones and find ways to help address them in your own life or work environment!