MHA6050 REGULATION AND POLICY IN HEALTHCARE DISCUSSION AND PROJECT INSTRUCTIONS

MHA6050WEEK3LECTURENOTES.docx

Home >Business & Finance homework help >Management homework help >MHA6050 REGULATION AND POLICY IN HEALTHCARE DISCUSSION AND PROJECT INSTRUCTIONS

MHA6050 WEEK 3 LECTURE 1

Policy Formulation: Agenda Setting

The existence of health-related societal problems does not automatically trigger policy changes that solve such problems. Each problem needs to be understood including all its complexity, solutions and potential solutions need to be identified, and the current political circumstances need to be understood in order to assess the will of the pubic as well as law makers. As it happens, the problems that are identified as important or urgent get immediate attention from policymakers. Aggressive congressional intervention usually depends on its public salience and the degree of group conflict surrounding it. Some problems gain traction simply due to a confluence of events and political ripeness. Potential solutions to problems may not be readily present and will need formulation.

Alternatively, policy making can be slowed if there are several potential solutions, each favored by a different interest group. Analysis plays a key role in identifying optimal solutions for inclusion in a policy. Apart from an analysis of advantage-to-disadvantage of alternative solutions, there should always be an awareness of unintended consequences and room for evolution. In this regard, data driven analysis with quantifiable results always has a better chance of finding a place on the policy agenda. All other things being equal, the existence or lack of political will, may render an agenda stagnant. The political circumstance surrounding each problem-potential solution is a crucial third variable in creating a window of opportunity.

Additionally, the influence and tenor of interest groups play a pivotal role in moving agendas forward. Sometimes, individual policymakers seem to make frustratingly counterintuitive decisions, and it may be because of how much power a certain interest group may wield over them. Interest groups may use strategies such as lobbying, campaigning through advertisements, organized protests, electioneering, litigation, as well as monetary “carrot and stick” tactics. Lastly, chief executives such as presidents, governors, mayors, etc. also influence policy agenda.

Stages of Agenda Setting

Review each stage to learn more about it.

Identifying a Problem

Presents a graphic that shows secondary action in land animation.

· Problems must be important and urgent

· Problems must stimulate disagreement between interest groups

· Problems must present an incentive for legislators

Identifying Possible Solutions

Presents a graphic that shows secondary action in land animation.

· A feasible solution must be presented to advance a problem into the policy-making process

· Numerous solutions should not be presented as it introduces competition

· Competing proposals make agenda setting difficult

Political Circumstances

Presents a graphic that shows secondary action in land animation.

· Political will or political force can make policymakers act

· Heavily influenced by public attitudes, concerns, and opinions

· Supported by interest groups and the chief executive

Additional Materials

From your course textbook, Health Policymaking in the United States, read the following chapter:

· Policy Formulation: Agenda Setting

From the Internet, review the following:

· Koduah, A. BioMed Central. (2014, November 28). The role of policy actors and contextual factors in policy agenda setting and formulation: maternal fee exemption policies in Ghana over four and a half decades. Retrieved from https://health-policy-systems.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12961-015-0016-9

Policy Formulation: Development of Legislation

The steps in the legislation process are numerous so as to include a system of checks and balances that prevent the enactment of bills that do not contain full support from the political arena representing the people. Bills are drafted by both the House of Representatives and the Senate. The process is relatively independent at this time and the bill moves forward to presentation, committee assessment, and approval from each side. Once the bill is approved by the House or Senate, it must be approved by the other side; that is, the bill passed by the House must be sent to the Senate for review and approval and vice versa. Conference committees are created to resolve differences until an identical bill is passed by both, the House and Senate. At this stage, the bill is forwarded to the President, who has one of four options:

1. The president may sign the bill into law.

2. The president may, during congressional session, ignore the bill, which automatically becomes law after 10 days without signature.

3. The president may, when congress is out of session, hold the bill, which cannot become law without presidential signature.

4. The president may veto the bill, which requires a two-thirds vote in the House and Senate to override.

It is important to note that the development of legislation follows this process whether the legislation is new law or an amendment to an existing law. Any proposals that are not enacted by the end of a congressional session must be reintroduced during the next session, starting the process over for each piece of legislation that does not evoke majority agreement. As such, only a small percentage of proposed legislation culminates in the enactment of law.

Stages of Development of Legislation