Nursing 405 Essay

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N487 Module 1: Health Policy Decisions that have shaped U.S. Health Care Delivery & Nursing Practice Module Overview: In this first module we’ll begin with a review of how today’s U.S. health policy has evolved. We’ll learn about the public policy process and note how significantly public policy decisions are influenced by sociocultural, economic, legal and political factors. We’ll examine landmark policy decisions which created our current pluralistic health care financing system with multiple reimbursement programs on a continuum from exclusively individual financial responsibility to exclusively state-sponsored. And finally, we’ll review a sample of the health policies that authorize, define and regulate today’s nursing practice. Learning Objectives: After completion of the module, you should be able to… 1. Provide examples of historically significant health care policy, finance, and regulatory decisions/actions and explain how they were influenced by the sociocultural, economic, legal and political factors of the period. 2. Identify various conceptual models for policymaking and the steps of the policy process. 3. Describe how U.S. health care is financed and the benefits and limitations of employer-sponsored health insurance, Medicare and Medicaid on delivery of health care services. 4. Locate and critically evaluate proposed and existing statutes, rules, and regulations which define the boundaries and nature of professional nursing practice. Guided Study: 1. Historical Context. Read Government's Role in Health Care Past, Present and Future (online link). What distinctly different phases of government policy action in health care can you identify? How did social trends, cultural expectations, economic priorities and political situations influence policy decisions and/or action? 2. Public Policy Process. Read Chapter 7 in
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