nursing (health policy issues)

Possible Topics—Health Policy Issues, NURS 4205 (These are in alphabetic order—not topical order or in order of importance. When considering different issues, if any topic isn’t clear, try Googling it to find out more. And remember, you are not limited to topics on this list).

• “Vaccine passports” (requiring COVID-19 vaccination for travel, work, etc.

• Access to health care coverage for undocumented immigrants

• Addressing health issues related to detention of undocumented immigrants and asylum- seekers

• Aid in Dying (aka Death with Dignity; Provider-Assisted Suicide)

• Allowing access to psychedelic drugs to treat anxiety and depression

• Banning menthol cigarettes

• Building the public health infrastructure

• Business liability for contracting COVID-19

• Decreasing health risks in jails and prisons

• E-cigarettes—age restrictions, marketing restrictions

• Expanding access to telehealth services

• Federal protections against discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity in health care

• Full practice authority for APRNs

• Government role in addressing climate change

• Government role in ensuring PPE availability

• Government role in reducing gun violence

• High-Deductible Health Plans: Impact on Payment, Cost and Access to Care

• Hospital and health insurance price transparency

• Lack of access to rural health care services

• Legalizing clean needle exchange programs (in states where it is not yet legal)

• Mandatory nurse-to-patient staffing ratios

• Mandatory vaccination for schoolchildren (and limiting exemptions)

• Medicaid expansion

• Medicaid work requirements

• Medicare—making it available for purchase by people younger than age 65

• Medicare—negotiating drug prices

• Mental health parity (requirements for insurers to cover mental health services equally to coverage of physical health services)

• Neonatal abstinence syndrome—screening, reporting, treatment availability

• Policies to promote preparedness for the next pandemic

• Price controls on drugs

• Reducing maternal mortality

• Reducing violence against health care workers

• Removing patent protection for COVID-19 vaccines

• Requiring calorie labeling by restaurants

• State laws restricting access to abortion

• State laws restricting transition surgery for transgender children

• Surprise medical billing

• The opioid epidemic

• U.S. membership in the World Health Organization