Policy Analysis and Development Health Care Policy Learnscape

Health Care Policy Learnscape 1: Policy Analysis and Development Health Care Policy Learnscape 1 FINAL October 25, 2012 1 Policy Analysis and Development Introduction: You are in a health care policy internship program in a Senator’s office in Washington, D.C. The Senator wants to develop policy that requires all health care organizations that receive federal funds to implement the recommendations presented in the Institute of Medicine reports on quality care. You will develop a policy, so that it can become proposed legislation. To do so, you must collect data, describe the problem, solutions and related ethical issues, examine the cost-benefit analysis, identify stakeholders (such as lobbyists from American Hospital Association, health care providers, health care corporations, pharmaceuticals, insurers, etc.), and impact. Based on this information, you will create a policy description that will be the foundation for a bill.
In this LearnScape, the student is in a health care policy internship program in a Senator’s office in Washington, D.C. The Senator wants to develop a policy that requires all health care organizations that receive federal funds to implement the recommendations presented in theInstitute of Medicine reports on quality care.
While it isn’t the case that many healthcare administrators find themselves working with elected officials to formulate healthcare legislation, it is very much the case that administrators are directly and indirectly involved in the lobbying and legislative processes. In fact, most healthcare systems have a government liaison office, which is dedicated to following key pieces of legislation that may have a positive or negative impact on their organizations. When proposed legislative poses a threat to the organization, the government liaison office mobilizes key stakeholders (industry leaders, professional organizations, lobbyist representing the industry, as well as elected officials) in an attempt to spur necessary changes to the bill. In those instances where the bill will become law and may potentially have a negative impact on the firm, the government liaison office will work with the leadership to discuss the potential implications and devise a mitigation strategy. As this scenario presents, policies (legislation) are typically developed to address what are perceived to be opportunities for