Week 8 Assignment

Introduction to Public Policy Analysis PAD 510

Instructor: Dr. Timothy Smith

Raheem D. Dow

Strayer University

Health Policy under President Clinton and Obama

The health policy is undoubtedly one of the policies that frequently come into a discussion. The basis behind this is because the theory touches on the lives of the electorate. All over the world, the health policy is one that has always been talked about as it can bring forth matters that are crucial; which pertain to the lives of many people(Barr,2016). In America, the health policy has been a born of contention in the administrations of President Clinton and Obama too. People will remember that in the times of Obama, what was there is the issue of Obama Care. That is the health policy that the Obama administration came up with the aim of making all the Americans benefit from it.

Historical Perspective of the Health Policy

President Clinton put forward his health proposal policy before the Congress in the year 1993.The reason for the policy was that the president realized that most Americans were not getting the required or adequate medical care. As a result, the president then penned down a 240,000-worded proposal with the aim of making the Congress pass the plan into a bill. According to President Clinton, it was better to provide all Americans with health insurance; abortion to be covered like all the services along with putting added pressure on state governments to implement the policy once it was ready for execution. The bill passed in the coming years. President Obama brought into fruition the Obama Care policy in the year 2010; inclusive within the plan, was to give all the Americans affordable and quality health care along with all children to be under health insurance, and it is something that went on to be a great success(Barr,2016).

Social, economic, and political environments during the policy discussion

During the period of President Clinton, the social status of the Americans was not that well. Most of the Americans were reeling from disturbed health matters as they were not accessing the best healthcare. Meaning that the policy had to convey compellingly during those times; as a result of many problems that were happening. Economically the Americans were not in good standing as there were many problems to do with financial standards. That is what made President Clinton realize that his people needed less expensive medical coverage (Skocpol,2015). Politically there were not many tensions. Both the Democrats from the President Side and the Republicans standing on the side of opposition became in agreement that the policy was good but needed a lot of deliberations. In the times of Obama, most Americans complained that they were not getting the best health care. With much industrialization, the people needed to be taken care of in a better manner then what was the past. Economically there were struggles as there was no money to the American people. Politically, it was heated as the Republicans were not for the idea of making the policy go through; the president, seemingly it prevailed in the astonishingly having the policy approved and very much accepted.

Critiquing the policy

The health policy during President Clinton was no doubt one of the best. What comes into play is that the Policy was very successful as it remained unchanged for a long time. Apart from our former head of state being over ambitious of the policy, it can be said that it was able to achieve a lot. The policy was, however, being pushed a lot by President Clinton’s team who were the Democrats without looking at its downside. The health policy was beneficial to the Americans as many employees would form alliances and get to the health programs that they liked. That means that issues to do with employees going without medication would not happen in any way(Morrisosn,2013). On the other hand, there was an improvement in the health of the Americans as most of them would be treated of their ailments. That would mean that there would be amendments to be passed but would not go through. During President Obama’s administration, the policy was faced with a lot of goodwill, but a lot of politics came in to play. This means that there were many Republicans who thought that the policy was there to support the Presidency of Obama. The strategy was very successful and helpful to all Americans as they got affordable and quality healthcare.

In the Obama period, the healthcare policy was very successful. That can be attributed to the many programs that the health policy brought to the American people. Of significance is that the policy was able to make scientific innovations in the country encompassing very high heights(Skocpol,2015). That means that the whole health sector in the country would improve a lot as there would be many needed enhancements taking place in our United States of America; addressed concerning the people. A keen and apt result of Obama care strategized that there were improvements to many; thus, creating healthier communities coming up; leading to what was a success to the people of America. The public health policy also became much improved as a result of the quality and substantiality of the health policy.

References

Barr, D. (2016). Introduction to US health policy: the organization, financing, and delivery

of health care in America. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press.

Morrison, S. (2013). Global Health Policy in the Second Obama Term. Lanham: Centre for

Strategic & International Studies.

Skocpol, T. (2015). Boomerang: health care reform and the turn against government. New

York: W.W. Norton & Co.