Health Policy Flashcards
Lecture Objectives
1) define health policy
2) describe the origins of health policy
3) recall the process of creating health policy
4) identify current examples of health policies related to optometry
What is the definition of a policy?
a law, regulation, procedure, administrative action, incentive or voluntary practice of governments and other institutions (like CDC)
What does health policy do in general?
defines a vision for the future, outlines priorities and expected roles of different groups, builds consensus and informs people
Is health policy restricted to governments?
No, ex: Infantsee
Reasons for creating health policy?
Change health-related behaviors, shape social and economic environments, improve clinical care, improve physical environment
Who pays for personal health care or public health promotion?
government, industry, employers, workers, parents, individuals
What is health policy delivery?
those who perform health care or public health promotion
What does access refer to in health policy?
can you get care when you need it; insurance coverage, transportation to healthcare, health literacy, legal barriers, available providers, medically underserved areas
What is health equity?
addressing differences in the quality of health and health care across racial, ethnic, sexual orientation and socioeconomic groups
What are 5 ways public policy impacts health?
creation and regulation of public goods, regulation of natural resources, requirements and mandates to protect citizens, direct support, creation of opportunities and incentives
What are examples of creation and regulation of public goods?
roads/interstates, parks, utilities
What are examples of regulation of natural resources?
water, air, oil/coal/gas, solar
What are examples of required mandates to protect citizens?
seatbelts, smoking laws, vaccinations, truancy laws
What are examples of direct support?
families first, medicaid, WIC
What are examples of creation of opportunities and incentives?
HOPE scholarships, tobacco taxes, school choice laws
Optometry federal health policy example
contact lens rule
Optometry state health policy example
scope of practice lawa
Optometry private organizations creating health policies:
the joint commission, NBEO, ACOE, SCO mask policy
What are NBEO guidelines related to?
licesure
What are ACOE guidelines related to?
training/education of health care providers
What is the joint commission?
nonprofit 501c org that accredits health care organizations and programs
Why is Joint Commission accreditation important?
many state governments recognize accreditation as a condition of licensure and the receipt of Medicare/Medicaid reimbursement
What is the oldest universal health care system in Western Europe?
Germany health insurance bill of 1883 under Chancellor Bismark
What are the politics of health insurance?
individual loss of income, individual medical costs, indirect costs of illness to society, social costs of medical care
What industry led the development of extensive employee medical programs?
the railroad, mining, and lumbar companies in the 1870s
What is the oldest private insurance in the US?
Blue Cross 1930s
T/F during/following WWII, employers would compete for workers by offering health benefits
true
When was HIPAA established?
1996
How is health policy created?
private problem, public problem, issue, systematic agenda, institutional agenda
What are problems?
issues that start on the individual level and produce dissatisfaction among a population thus requiring government level response
Why do you need to monitor key indicators?
used to identify changes in the system, can track population health over time
What are common key indicators?
health care spending, per capita health care spending, life expectancy, infant mortality rate, mortality ratio (death rate/disease incidence), length of inpatient hospital stay, hospital beds per 1,000 population, physicians per 1,000 population
What are the top key indicators?
health care spending GDP % and per capita health care spending
How do policies collect feedback/assurance?
monitoring existing programs and complaints
How are current policies monitored?
implementation errors, failure to meet stated goals, cost of program, unanticipated consequences
Examples of complaints affecting policy?
TN Board of Optometry receives complaints, report medicare fraud, report illegal CL sales
What are focusing events?
crisis, disaster or powerful symbols that drive policy and make things happen quickly
What led to changes in practices of clinical research?
syphilis study in Tuskegee
When was the department of homeland security created?
2002 because of 9/11
The department of homeland security is the ___ largest cabinet
3rd: TSA, FEMA, ICE, Customs and Border Protection, US Coast Guard
Who is in the health policy pyramid?
nonparticipants, voters, attentive public, interest groups, political elites, decision makers
As the power to affect change increases,
the number of people involved decreases
How many eligible voters did not vote in 2020?
37%
Who creates health policy?
individual citizens and interest groups
How do individual citizens create policy?
do not vote directly on legislation but can create policy in rare occasions
What do interest groups do?
set agenda, appeal to all branches of government
What branches of government do interest groups work with?
all three, although judicial route is last resort because process is lengthy/divisive/less likely to be influenced by money
Who are political elites?
previous decision makers and long-term political agents; homogenous, autonomous, self-perpetuating, power to influence collective decision making, leave elected position to work as lobbyist
How is money involved in policy?
(Lobbyists and political action committees) increases probability of access to political elites and decision makers, can be used to directly affect public votes through advertising or votes of elected officials through campaign
What is the policy cycle?
define objectives, design policy, implement policy, measure results
What does health policy look like today?
national health services corps, 1-800 contacts bill, contact lens rule amendment
What is the National Health Service Corp?
increase access to healthcare through loan repayment, ODs removed in 2002
What is the 1-800 Contacts bill?
prescribers must provide a copy of CLRx at end of fitting, CL sellers must verify CLRx with prescriber, prescriber must verify CLRx within 8 business hours
What was the Contact Lens Rule Amendment?
implement new ways to verify that patients have received their final ClRx
What does eye care health policy look like today?
vision screening for older drivers, mandatory eye exams for children entering school, scope of practice laws, online eye exams, contact lens retailer abuse, telemedicine
