HEALTH POLICY HOMEWORK NEEDED: TWO PAPERS (ONE A REWRITE); THE OTHER A NEW PAPER BY 23:00 "U.S. EASTERN STANDARD TIME." WILL PAY $60 FOR BOTH

HA545

TYRONE JAMES

3/10/16

Case Study Synopsis

In this essay, an argument why San Francisco has an obligation to provide its citizens with health access will be given. This paper will include the government's role in regulating healthy and unhealthy behavior. It will also extend to discuss whether the balance between personal freedoms and the government's responsibility to provide health and welfare of its citizens has to be balanced.

According to Shannon, T. A. (2004), accessing health care services to the patients or rather citizens is the responsibility of a city council, county government or the federal government. San Francisco has a city council or part of the county or government has an obligation to provide its citizens with access to the health care services. When the mayor of San Francisco stated that every business organization that operates within San Francisco should provide some financial support to be used in creating access of health care service by the citizens, it was a brilliant and legal idea.

A healthy society creates a good business environment for investors. Therefore, if the business organizations of San Francisco decide to agree with the mayor to contribute towards the improvement of access to health care services by creating modern and many health care centers, there businesses will also flourish. Improvement of healthcare standards of the citizens will also improve their participation in business and thus increasing customer value. Contributing to health care services by the business organization is also part of the corporate social responsibility, which is, giving back to the society. Every corporate business must give back to the society in which they operate. This can be done mainly through provision of social amenities that benefits everyone in the society irrespective of gender, age, marital status, social status, race among other forms of discriminations.

The federal government has role in regulating healthy and unhealthy behavior. It always has the laws, obligations and regulations that one is expected to observe. Patel, K., & Rushefsky, M. E. (1999) stated that the government protects it citizens be ensuring that the business organizations that operates with a given area provides parts of its revenues to be used in provision of public services e.g. health care services. Sometimes the existence of some of the businesses causes pollution to the environment which has adverse health effects on the people living around. The government may decide to ban those businesses from operation and make them buy pollution permits if the externality can be contained or doesn’t have adverse health effects on the people around. Some will also be force to provide health insurance to the people who reside around the plant so that they can compensate, that in case, the business operations cause health problems.

According to Harrington, C. (2004), the government will always promote healthy behavior by providing incentives like subsidizes or grants to businesses that improves the health standards of the people by producing environmental friendly products and business practices. It also provides support to businesses that are ready to contribute to the realization of access to quality health care services by all citizens, and the impact of pollutants and chemicals on the environment caused by manufacturers. The role of government in regulating healthy and unhealthy behavior is generally to involve itself in business activities and providing a base for healthy business operations that are not harmful to consumers in any way, or lessening the toll on the health of the population as much as possible.

The balance between personal freedom and the government's responsibility to provide health and welfare of its citizens should always be balanced. Business owners have to freedom to choose whether to help in providing access to health care services or not. That is, they have freedom of actualizing their corporate social responsibility or not. The government should not have to push them to pay back to the society as the mayor of San Francisco did but positively motivate and reward those who do with stimulating subsidies, grants, tax incentives and awards. The government of the day is entirely responsible for the health care and general welfare of its citizens with or without the support of business organizations within the country.

Government should set up policies and modalities that will enable it to provide public goods and services, health care included to the citizens without expected returns from any private organizations that are just profit-oriented. Mason, D. J., Leavitt, J. K., & Chaffee, M. W. (2014) argued that the private business organizations should be left on the own to decide whether to help in improving the welfare of the society or not. The goals of governments should primarily be to establish laws, regulations and policies that stimulate, maintain and improve healthcare situations contributed by private business organizations. The punitive actions of governmental bodies should be enforced when there are clear violations of healthcare standards causing widespread mortality within the population, and to provide financial assistance to those that realize a business will flourish exponentially if healthy consumers are able to buy goods and services over and over again.

Conclusion

In conclusion, business organizations, for example, those that operate in San Francisco should find a reason to undertake corporate social responsibility through contribution of funds for improving access to health care services thus promoting healthy and returning consumers. It should not force the business organization to contribute but give them personal freedom to choose. Those that contribute should be given valuable incentives resulting in asset and financial rewards, that will cause gradual shifts toward a new culture, that if a business is smart and enjoys profit --- will make a wise business decision to join others. Finally, government should actively regulate health and unhealthy behavior in the business environment.

References

Harrington, C. (2004). Health policy: Crisis and reform in the U.S. health care delivery system. Sudbury, Mass: Jones and Bartlett Publishers.

Mason, D. J., Leavitt, J. K., & Chaffee, M. W. (2014). Policy & politics in nursing and health care.

Patel, K., & Rushefsky, M. E. (1999). Health care politics and policy in America. Armonk, NY [u.a.: M.E. Sharpe.

Shannon, T. A. (2004). Health care policy: A reader. Lanham: Rowman & Littlefield.