The modern health regulations and policies pose a complicated legal, moral, ethical, and social questions. The overarching objective of the health policy is protecting and promoting the health of the community members. The government officials get conferred with the duty of achieving the stipulated goals consistently and respecting human rights. Some of the human rights include the right of self-determination, non-discrimination, and privacy.
Undeniably, the United States is one sophisticated society where many proponents and critiques have weighed in on the importance of healthcare policy and the role of government in influencing its effectiveness and efficiency (Biomedicine et al., 2010). The U.S broad spectrum of policymaking bodies as well as groups that seek to influence policy make it challenging to offer a systematic as well as a well thought out policy formulation.
Notably, the United States government, specifically the Congress and the executive, in this case, the president wield power to influence the country’s health policies by invoking the legislative process (Biomedicine et al., 2010). However, the ability to influence the policymaking process depends on the power of the political party from the majority. This is because the political party of the majority has a higher level of representation, which would translate to more votes.
Indeed, congress has the legitimate power to come up with suggestions to amend the laws and improve the health sector. The law amendments of the laws thus is solely the responsibility of the congress. The U.S House of the representative, as well as the senate, are obliged to debate over the suggested policies. The amendments are crucial as they can immensely help in saving the American citizen’s lives and more so, improve the quality of service dispensation in the health sector. Furthermore, it also ensures that the federal government is attentive in the allocation of the funds to the health sector in a quest to facilitate development projects and improve its modus operandi.
Notably, before the bills or proposed amendments are endorsed to become enforceable laws, the incumbent president should append his or her signature. Thus, the president has the authority to influence the healthcare policies positively by appending his signature to make it a law. Improved health care improves the productivity of the workforce, which in turn has a positive ripple effect in the country’s economy. Quality service dispensation in the health sector would enhance economic stability. Furthermore, it would facilitate the accessibility of the medical services by people from all social levels, thus improving their concentration span in their work.
Notably, the influence shift is immensely dependent on the political party that constitutes the majority, which is obviously the Republican party. The highly represented party will gunner more votes and thus defeat the other party counterpart due to its low representation. Such a phenomenon spearheads their voices, and thus their wishes in regards to policy amendments can be addressed.
Part Two
The question as to the kind of power that the medical profession should wield over the insurance companies is far from settled. This has contributed to the debate as to whether the government should also wield power in determining the regularly and the reimbursement rates or procedures that should be considered. Further, it establishes if there should the medical data also should be divulged from medical organizations to the insurance industry (Hiltzik, 2012). This write up argues that the medical profession should not wield power in the health care sectors and in government. Thus, it should not be conferred with jurisprudential authority to influence the health sector.
Critiques aver that the medical profession should wield power over the healthcare sector on account that the medical practitioners are the suppliers of the health services. Thus, since the medical practitioners dispense healthcare services, it is valid to state that the market forces in the market. The supply and demand of the health care services can either be adversely or advantageously be influenced by the service dispensation by the medical practitioners in the market (Hallo De Wolf & Toebes, 2016). Also, the medical professions supply the service, which in turn induces the demand. However, this would lead to the medical profession wielding monopoly power in the health care sector. Hence, the medical practitioners have some sense of total control in the market. For this reason, they should be conferred with the authority to stipulate their medical standards.
There are benefits of having the medical professions being conferred with the authority over the insurance organization and the reigning government in a quest to determine the medical prices. Furthermore, it is the medical profession that should be immensely involved in standardizing the medical procedures that should be conformed to in the health care industry. Another advantage of the medical profession being conferred with the authority is that it will have the capacity to control the moral hazard and any adverse selection that might be caused by an insurance organization. The medical profession thus will have a sense of control in the market without being overly regulated by the ruling government or an insurance agency.
The disadvantage of the medical profession is given the authority in the health care sector is that there is a likelihood of compromise in quality service dispensation in the health care industry. The low quality of services will be a result of monopoly power wielded by the medical profession who do not have a superior authority overseeing their modus operandi (Geiger, 1983). In this respect, the medical professionals are likely to disregard the need to dispense their services effectively and efficiently since there will be no supervision from within their field. Furthermore, determining the premium that should be afforded to the insurance industry is an aspect that involves intricate science factors that medical professionals might not be aware of (McClanahan, 2012). This puts the insurance industries at risk of closure if they do not make profits from their services.
Accordingly, I maintain that the medical profession ought not to be granted authority over the insurance organization and the government. This is on account that conferring the medical profession with such power would adversely affect the health sector. As such, the medical practitioners are likely to be reluctant in the dispensation of their services as they will not have a superior power overseeing their practices. Additionally, this would also lead to ineffectiveness and inefficiencies in the health industry. Last but not least, the health sector is induced by the supply market force, which is solely at the hands of medical practitioners. Thus, leaving this power to the medical profession would have an immense negative effect.