The Policy And Advocacy For Population Health Discussion
Rather than focus on the treatment of chronic disease, policies that influence population health tend to emphasize prevention and wellness; the reduction or elimination of waste and the eradication of health disparities based on race, ethnicity, language, income, gender, sexual orientation, disability and other factors. The reasoning is that good health belongs to the whole, not just an individual. (New York State Dept. of Health, n.d.) The Policy And Advocacy For Population Health Discussion
Regardless of political affiliation, every citizen has a stake in healthcare policy decisions. Hence, it is little wonder why healthcare items become such high-profile components of presidential agendas. It is also little wonder why they become such hotly debated agenda items.
Consider a topic (mental health, HIV, opioid epidemic, pandemics, obesity, prescription drug prices, or many others) that rises to the presidential level. How did the current and previous presidents handle the problem? What would you do differently?
Reference:
New York State Department of Health. (n.d.). Making New York the healthiest state: Achieving the triple aim. Retrieved June 21, 2021 from https://www.health.ny.gov/events/population_health_summit/docs/what_is_population_health.pdf
Use this Agenda Comparison Grid to document information about the population health/healthcare issue you selected and the presidential agendas. By completing this grid, you will develop a more in depth understanding of your selected issue and how you might position it politically based on the presidential agendas.
You will use the information in Part 1: Agenda Comparison Grid to complete the remaining Part 2 and Part 3 of your Assignment. The Policy And Advocacy For Population Health Discussion
Identify the Population Health concern you selected. | Opioid Crisis | |
Describe the Population Health concern you selected. | What began as a pain management prescription has transformed into the overuse of opioid drugs from illegal and medical prescriptions. The epidemic continues to ravage the nation, and it has cost the lives of many individuals. Also, it has exposed vital weaknesses in the United States’ drug policy and welfare systems. Since the beginning of the millennium, opioid-related deaths have reached 400,000 people in the U.S., decreasing the country’s life expectancy (Shastry et al., 2020)The Policy And Advocacy For Population Health Discussion. The epidemic puts users at an elevated risk of suicide and depression, and without sufficient therapy, the crisis undermines the people’s ability to engage in productive economic activities. | |
Administration (President Name) | Biden | Trump |
Explain how each of the two presidential administrations approached the issue. | Biden administration wants to address the epidemic by ensuring individuals access high-quality healthcare, including substance use disorder therapy and mental health services. This means insurers will cover mental health services. Also, the administration has released new directions for employers to design recovery-ready workplaces (National Archives). Further, financial sanctions to disrupt global drug trafficking operations are part of Biden’s agenda. | Established the Stop Opioid Abuse initiative in 2018. It involved decreasing demand for over-prescription, reducing the supply of illicit drugs, and assisting those struggling with the issue (The White House, 2022)The Policy And Advocacy For Population Health Discussion. |
Identify the allocations of resources the current and previous presidents dedicated to this issue. | $6 billion in October 2018 (National Archives) | $1.5 billion for all territories and states
$104 million for expansion of treatment and prevention in rural areas $20.5 million to raise access to recovery assistance $275 million for law enforcement (The White House, 2022) |
Part 2: Agenda Comparison Grid Analysis
Using the information you recorded in Part 1: Agenda Comparison Grid, complete the following to document information about the population health/healthcare issue you selected The Policy And Advocacy For Population Health Discussion
Administration | |
Which administrative agency (like HHS, CDC, FDA, OHSA) would most likely be responsible for helping you address the healthcare issue you selected? Why is this agency the most helpful?
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The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services will be an excellent administrative agency to assist in combating the crisis. It can help mobilize resources, foster multisectoral responses, institute public health authority, and facilitate innovative plans.
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How do you think your selected healthcare issue might get on the presidential agenda? How does it stay there? | A sponsor or champion can help move the issue forward. This can be a legislator or agency director supporting the selected issue. |
Who would you choose to be the entrepreneur/ champion/sponsor (this can be a celebrity, a legislator, an agency director, or others) of the healthcare issue you selected? An example is Michael J. Fox a champion for Parkinson’s disease. | Macklemore. He became a vocal crusader for the recovery community. After fighting OxyContin addiction, the champion has worked with President Obama and Ryan Lewis. Further, he released Prescription for Change: Ending America’s Opioid Crisis in 2016, a documentary. The Policy And Advocacy For Population Health Discussion |
References
National Archives. (n.d.). National Archives and Records Administration. Retrieved February 28, 2023, from https://trumpwhitehouse.archives.gov/opioids/
Shastry, S., Manini, A. F., Richardson, L. D., & Lin, M. P. (2020). US ED Opioid-Related Visits Increase, While Use of Medication for Opioid Use Disorder Undetectable, 2011–2016. Journal of General Internal Medicine, 35, 965-966.
The White House. (2022, September 22). Fact sheet: Biden-Harris Administration announces new actions and funding to address the overdose epidemic and support recovery. The White House. Retrieved February 28, 2023, from https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2022/09/23/fact-sheet-biden-harris-administration-announces-new-actions-and-funding-to-address-the-overdose-epidemic-and-support-recovery/ The Policy And Advocacy For Population Health Discussion