How policies influence the structure and financing of health care. This assessment addresses the following learning objective(s):
Analyze how policies influence the structure and financing of health care, practice, and health outcomes. Instructions It’s easy to discuss the way things “should be” regarding access to affordable, quality healthcare. But what actions can be taken to enact actual change?
For this discussion, you will assume a role of leadership, power, and influence within your community. In this role, you have the ability to propose a program or service that can improve the health of your community. Considering your role, respond to the following question: Propose one measure that will improve the health of your community, addressing health disparities and socioeconomic factors.
Provide a brief summary detailing the need for this measure (this may include a little background on your community/demographics). Briefly explain how you will enact and support the measure. Summarize any push-back you expect to receive (and from whom). Detail what is needed to approve or enact this measure (ex: city council approval, city budget approval, mayoral endorsement, state funding, grants, etc.) Please be sure to validate your opinions and ideas with citations and references in APA format.
Health financing is a core function of health systems that can enable progress towards universal health coverage by improving effective service coverage and financial protection. Today, millions of people do not access services due to the cost. Many others receive poor quality of services even when they pay out-of-pocket. Carefully designed and implemented health financing policies can help to address these issues. For example, contracting and payment arrangements can incentivize care coordination and improved quality of care; sufficient and timely disbursement of funds to providers can help to ensure adequate staffing and medicines to treat patients.
WHO’s approach to health financing focuses on core functions:
In addition, all countries have policies on which services the population is entitled to, even if not explicitly stated by government; by extension those services not covered, are usually paid for by patients (sometimes called co-payments).