Initial Discussion Post

This week, we will evaluate how former presidential administrations handled health care and how federal agendas promote healthcare. Healthcare issues are one of the biggest problems in elections. Some believe in universal healthcare, and some think universal healthcare would result in sub-standard healthcare. Whichever side you are on, we can not deny that health care prices and availability need to be improved. Healthcare funding often depends on the political party that is in control of the executive and legislative branches Presidential Agendas -NURS 6050 week 1 Discussion.

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The implementation of healthcare coverage has taken on many forms throughout the history of the United States. Until the turn of the century, most healthcare was the states’ responsibility ( Gluck & Huberfield, 2018). The state’s healthcare funding was often not enough to provide healthcare, so the federal government began programs to help cover the elderly and poor. President Johnson created Medicare and Medicaid to ensure healthcare for the elderly and poor ( Gluck & Huberfield, 2018). Medicare and Medicaid are still funding healthcare and have been modified several times to include more people. The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA) was the most recent federal government attempt to provide broader healthcare access.

President George W. Bush helped lay the groundwork for future healthcare reform laws. President Bush was the first president to focus on the electronic health record and Health Saving Accounts (HSA) (Bush, 2004). Before 2001, there were very few systems in place to create and maintain patient charts electronically.  Electronic health records have helped with patient safety and quality of care because providers can access prior medical information like allergies and diseases. President Bush passed laws to reduce prescription drug prices, which helped relieve some of the financial burdens on the elderly and poor (Bush, 2014). Overall, President Bush created an environment of future healthcare reform Presidential Agendas -NURS 6050 week 1 Discussion.

President Barrack Obama came into office with the hope of reforming healthcare. President Obama, with the help of congress, passed the  Patient Protection

and Affordable Care Act (ACA).  The ACA expanded Medicaid coverage and created insurance exchanges that offered lower-priced insurance options. The ACA did not see its full potential because some states refused to implement the changes (Oberlanger, 2012). The federal government had to step in to provide insurance options in states that did not participate. The ACA was the most extensive health care reform since the creation of Medicare and Medicaid. The federal government’s involvement in providing healthcare to its citizens is criticized as being socialistic. The United States current healthcare is currently the most expensive globally and does not offer universal healthcare.

President Donald Trump promised to repeal the ACA in his campaign. President Trump offered to replace the ACA with a better plan. The planned replacement for the ACA never materialized. One of the problems in repealing the ACA is that public opinion was split between the government offering healthcare and private insurance coverage (Keckley, 2017).  President Trump tried many avenues to repeal the ACA. His administration has attempted to undermine the ACA by limiting funding and participation (Jones et al., 2018). President Trump successfully streamlined vaccine approvals for COVID-19. The vaccine approval usually would have taken years to be approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Overall, President Trump’s healthcare policies centered on repealing the ACA, but he never offered a viable replacement plan. One of his only successes in healthcare was streamlining the COVID-19 vaccine Presidential Agendas -NURS 6050 week 1 Discussion.

Universal healthcare is a significant debate. The opinion often depends on political affiliations. I feel like healthcare should be a right instead of a privilege. Many countries have implemented universal healthcare and spend much less than the United States. The argument is that with universal health coverage, you will have low healthcare quality. The reforms and policies to date have attempted to provide access to health for more Americans. If I were to offer more access to Americans, I would try to personalize the uninsured struggle.

Bush, G.W. (2004). Ensuring access to health care: The Bush plan. JAMA, 292(16), 2010-2011. https://doi:10.1001/jama.292.16.2010

Gluck, A.R., & Huberfield, N. (2018). What is federalism in healthcare for?. Stanford Law Review, 70(6), 1689–1803. https://www-proquest-com.ezp.waldenulibrary.org/docview/2064333592?accountid=14872

Jones, D.K., Gusmano, M.K., Nadash, P., & Miller, E.A. (2018). Undermining the ACA through the executive branch and federalism: what the Trump administration’s approach to health reform means for older Americans. Journal of Aging & Social Policy, 30(3-4), 282-299. https://doi.org/10.1080/08959420.2018.1462684

Keckley, P.H. (2017). What’s ahead on healthcare? The new administration favors a state-run, market-driven approach to crafting policy. Healthcare Executive, 32(2), 66-69. https://eds-b-ebscohost-com.ezp.waldenulibrary.org/eds/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?vid=5&sid=f1330a19-ae27-4bd5-adbe-c82d59cf5815%40sessionmgr101 Presidential Agendas -NURS 6050 week 1 Discussion

Oberlander, J. (2012). Unfinished journey-a century of health care reform in the United States. The New England Journal of Medicine, 367(7), 585-590. https://doi:10.1056/NEJMp1202111

Discussion: Presidential Agendas

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