chapter 13 health policy
distributive policies
Spread benefits throughout society. Examples are funding of medical research through the NIH, the training of medical personnel through the National Health Services Corps, the construction of health facilities under the Hill-Burton program, and the initiation of new institutions (e.g., HMOs).
Redistibutive Policies
are designed to benefit only certain groups of people by taking money from one group and using it for the benefit of another health policy is often most visible and politically charged when it performs redistributive functions.
public policies
authoritative decisions made in the legislative , executive, or judicial branch of government intended to direct or influence the actions, behaviors or decisions of others.
health policy
the principles stated or unstated that characterize the distribution of resources , services, and political influences that impact on the health of the population
regulatory tools
Designate a use of health policy in which the government prescribes and controls the behavior of a particular target group by monitoring the group and posing sanctions if it fails to comply.
allocative tools
Policy used by government for the direct provision of income, services, or goods to certain groups of individuals or institutions. Allocative tools in the health care arena may be either distributive or redistributive.
What is the process of legislative health policy in the United States? How is this process related to the principal features of U.S. health policy?
The formation and implementation of health policy occurs in a policy cycle comprising five components: (1) issue raising, (2) policy design, (3) public support building, (4) legislative decision making and policy support building, and (5) legislative decision making and policy implementation.
What is health policy? How can health policies be used as regulatory or allocative tools?
health policy is principles, stated or unstated, that . . . characterize the distribution of resources, services, and political influences that impact on the health of the population Examples of regulatory policies are abundant in the health care system. Federally funded quality improvement organizations (QIOs; formerly called peer review organizations), for instance, develop and enforce standards concerning appropriate care under the Medicare program (see the Cost, Access, and Quality chapter)
What are the principal features of U.S. health policy? Why do these features characterize U.S. health policy?
including the position of the government as subsidiary to the private sector; fragmented, incremental, and piecemeal reform; pluralistic politics associated with demanders and suppliers of policy; a decentralized role for the states; and the impact of presidential leadership.