ESSAY: Benchmark – Population Health Policy Analysis

Select a current or proposed health care policy that is designed to improve a specific population’s access to quality, cost-effective health care.
In a paper of 1,000-1,250 words, include the following:
1)Explain the policy and how it is designed to improve cost-effectiveness and health care equity for the population. Is the policy financially sound? Why or why not?
2)How does the policy account for any relevant ethical, legal, and political factors and the nursing perceptive one must consider when implementing it?
3)To what state, federal, global health policies or goals is this particular policy related? How well do you think the policy is designed to achieve those goals?
4)Finally, discuss the advocacy strategies you would employ on behalf of your population to ensure they have access to the benefits of the policy. Explain, from a Christian perspective, the professional and moral obligation of advanced registered nurse to advocate for and promote health and prevent disease among diverse populations.

ANSWER

A population health policy refers to plans, actions, and decisions created and followed to reach specific health care targets within a community. Health care policies are usually designed to solve medical problems in the society such as the inability to access quality healthcare because of the high costs, geographical locations, inadequate medical resources, and illiteracy. Effective health policy can achieve several things in addition to its intended purpose. The plan that defines a future vision establishes targets and points of reference for short term objectives. It also describes roles and priorities of different teams, informs the involved people, and builds consensus (Blumenthal, Abrams & Nuzum, 2015). This paper intends to discuss the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act as one of the most significant health policies in the American society that was put in place in 2010. It was formed to enable American residents to receive quality medical care at affordable costs.

Affordable Care Act (ACA)

The ACA policy was formed to eradicate discrimination and promote equity in the health provision sector among American citizens. The law protects low-income earners by reducing medication costs to affordable rates and keeping the quality standards high. It also protects individuals with color, women, children and the physically or mentally challenged against receiving low quality medication. Before the creation of the policy, high cases of health problems, some leading to death were experienced among a specific group of individuals because of their inability to access required medical care (Lanford & Quadagno, 2016). However, since the implementation of the policy, a significant change has been noticed through reduced death rates and low cases of health problems. The primary objectives to guide the policy towards its main goal of quality health outcomes were to expand access to insurance, emphasize on disease prevention and wellness, improve patients’ protection, improve the performance of healthcare systems and limit rising …