Discussion post- Healthcare Policy
The healthcare reform law is not entirely negative; it has some positive parts that are worth keeping. However, for equitable health care, the policy should be revised to make healthcare more affordable for majority. This can be done through the reintroduction of the public option in insurance to mitigate the high cost of private insurance providers. Accessible healthcare is important for all.
As an elected representative, how would you "poll" your constituency as to whether they are in agreement/disagreement with health care reform law?
As an elected representative, I would use an independent survey to gauge my constituent’s support for the healthcare reform laws. I would do this by contracting an independent poll-star/ researcher to enable people to give an impartial view while also obtaining an accurate scientific analysis of the poll to obtain objective results.
Using Longest, Ch. 4 as a guide, describe policy competency in terms of understanding context of the policy and the participants. Do you have an opinion of current thinking either in state or federal government regarding reform of health care. Think about health care reform law, or Arizona State legislation re: Medicaid for example.
Policy competency refers to the formation of policy in a process that involves all stakeholders. A new policy ought to involve special interest groups and should engage the public to seek opinion and debate the contents of the bill through public participation. The policy should also be communicated to the relevant departments to assess its practicability and suitability. When a bill has been legally ratified, it should be taken to the budget committee to be incorporated into the budget for implementation by the relevant sectors.
