Clinical Practice Policy in Florida

Policy Analysis

A health care reform involves plans and actions which are implemented to achieve a desired goal within the health care system to improve the current healthcare. An elaborate health care reform describes a detailed procedure for obtaining maximum health benefits for the people. Alternatively, it discusses major changes to be done in the health care sector to improve it. For instance, it outlines the exact steps to be followed and timelines for the same. This builds a consensus among the team players hence enabling them to have the general picture of the desired outcome, which makes them strive to achieve it.

The general purpose of this study is to investigate and integrate the knowledge of advanced nursing practice, scholarly inquiry, and leadership by examining a policy at the level of clinical practice, health care systems, or public/social health policy in Florida. The targeted level of policy is public health in Florida.

The research will be conducted to investigate and integrate the knowledge of advanced nursing practice, scholarly inquiry, and leadership by examining a policy at the level of clinical practice, health care systems, or public/social health policy in Florida. The findings of this study will help policymakers, such as nurses, to participate in their employer’s policy committees. Also, professional organizations will also benefit from implementing the findings of this study.

The questions the discussed policy analysis is aimed to address are as follows: what is the effect of health reforms on health insurance? To what extent will health reforms affect the cost of health? How do health care reforms affect the cost of health in Florida? How do health care reforms affect non-insured persons?

Background of the Study

The health sector in Florida is in disarray. In fact, it has the highest number of uninsured rates. (Born, 2017). Primary healthcare has been very expensive hence forcing most residents to live without cover. This has happened because of the cost of health, because of the unbearable costs, many residents have found it difficult to purchase health insurance. Living without a cover can cost an individual because if an accident occurs, there is no one to compensate the victim. Nonetheless, many reforms have been introduced, especially in the health sector, to mitigate this challenge.

Numerous studies have revealed that Florida has the highest number of people who do not have access to an insurance cover. The Affordable Care Act introduced widespread healthcare services and subsidized private insurance. According to Rasmussen, Collins, Doty, & Beutel (2015), private insurance means that an individual has the freedom to choose his or her own private insurer depending on his net worth.Therefore, before someone pays health insurance, they are supposed to shop for insurances offering the best rates. The researcher further states that the government introduced a plan whereby the government chooses the insurance providers for needy people. However, they also determine the health services to be offered by the insurance providers. This health reforms have provided inclusivity to the vulnerable persons in society because they are not left out.

The strength of the existing policy can be formulated in the following way: first, the policy is available to all citizens, including the needy. The policy benefits the needy in society because the government chooses insurance companies for poor people.

Second, the policy has improved healthcare among people. For instance, the health reforms have introduced new clinics that have efficient facilities that have improved service delivery among the people. Third, more people can access quality health care services at subsidized prices.

The shortcoming of the policy is that due to the increased number of people, the policy may take some time before the people experience a ripple effect.

As far as the stakeholders are concearned, the key stakeholders that will be affected by the policy are the needy people. The health reforms ought to provide quality health care at subsidized prices.Therefore, people who cannot afford premium health care will access these centers anywhere within their respective states.

Nurses will also be affected by the policy because the health reform policies have direct impact on them and it is in their best interest to be actively engaged in the process of formulation (Kunaviktikul, 2014).The nurses should be involved in the formation and implementation of the goals.

Analysis

Alternative Policies

Some of the alternative policies include:

1. Correctional health. This is the act of improving health care in correctional facilities such as jails and prisons.
2. Managed health care. This is a type of health insurance whereby the government collaborated with health insurance providers to provide its citizens with quality and affordable health care.
3. Medicare. It is a special insurance plan by the government for its citizens. It consists of citizens with special needs such as disabilities and elderly people above sixty five years old.

The best criteria to use to identify the best policy would be effective by using the Benefit-Risk Assessment method (Thokala et. al, 2016). The rationale for this is that it examines the benefits and risk of using a certain method. Afterwards, the less risky method can be selected.

Evaluation of Alternatives

Correctional health. The given alternative has a positive impact on the welfare of the people in the correctional facilities and improves the patient outcomes (Bisset, & Harrison, 2012).

Managed health care. This type of health insurance reduces costs to the patient and improves the general well-being of the patient.

Medicare. Medicare benefits the patient because they can go to the hospital for a dental care check up or replacement of eyeglasses. This is an advantage to low income earners since this helps them save some money for extra use.

A major trade off between the alternatives is the fact that they all cater for human welfare.

Recommendations

The best alternative in this case will be managed healthcare.Unlike correctional healthcare and medicare, managed healthcare benefits every citizen of a particular state or country. For instance, it does not discriminate in terms of poverty, age or disability.

According to Soper (2016), the strategies used to implement managed health care include:

1. specialized clinical expertise at the health plan level;
2. state capacity for robust oversight and monitoring;
3. innovative strategies for advancing whole-person care to address beneficiaries’ complex needs;
4. mechanisms for achieving and maintaining provider and other stakeholders’ support.”(2).

The possible barriers include:

1. Fraud. This is a wrongful gain which is mostly caused by the top and middle level managers. It is a move attempted to embezzle money from a company using dubious means. The managers can lie about the numbers and this causes large sums of money to disappear hence being a major challenge of implementation.
2. Mismanagement of the office.Sometimes, the office can be run anyhow by a person who does not care about the welfare of the business. This means he does not care about the shareholders and wants to have everything by himself.
3. Lack of competent staff. This is one of the most rising waves in the job market. Most employees do not have any work experience neither are they equal to the task. When employed, they end up draining the business and It might cause it to run into debt.

Methods to Evaluate Policy Implementation

The methods include:

• Identification of the problem. This is where the goal is established and the organization works towards it.
• Analysis of alternatives. This is done in case the original plan fails.
• Policy Adoption.The Company decides to work with the policy.
• Policy implementation. The idea is tested.
• Policy evaluation. The process is closely monitored and if need be, amendments are made.

Discussion

Based on the analysis and recommendations, the most suitable method to address health care systems is the managed healthcare systems.

Limitations of Analysis

The limitations of the analysis can be formulated in the following manner: the existing rules are tight for some members; thus, not everyone will benefit. In addition to that, the members do not have privacy.

Implications for Practice, Education, Research, &Policy-Making

The Implication for practice is as follows: it fosters strong communication. Frequent communication with others, fosters strong communication.

Implication for education

It is important to focus a student’s results rather than the outcome.

Implication for research

Research and practice must proceed interactively.

Implication for policy making

Policies must support the growth of individuals as well as institutions.

Conclusion

It is evident that managed healthcare is the best alternative for health care reforms because it is not discriminatory rather, serves all individuals. The government, through managed healthcare provides efficient and cost effective healthcare. Correctional health is only available to convicts and those who are in jail awaiting trial. In case this was used, it would be discriminatory since it would only focus on the people who have been locked in prison.

On the other hand, medicare is not advisable since it only caters for people with special needs. For instance, it cares for retirees and disabled people. In case someone is not disabled, they cannot benefit from this money. Ultimately, the only alternative left is managed healthcare which is suitable for everyone since it caters for everyone.

This policy analysis focused on Florida state.Therefore, in future, a study should be done in other states for results to be compared. When a study is focused on one area, it is assumed that the results are based on the samples taken.Therefore, these results cannot be used to posit the general feeling of that area.Therefore, in the interest of fairness, it is wise to conduct experiments in other states within the United States of America or even outside the country.

Appendices

List of Alternatives

1. Correctional health.
2. Managed health care.
3. Medicare.

Degree of Effectiveness

1. Managed health care.
2. Medicare.
3. Correctional health.

Methods of Evaluating Policy Implementation

1. Identification of the problem.
2. Analysis of alternatives.
3. Policy Adoption.
4. Policy implementation.
5. Policy evaluation.

References

Bisset, M. M., & Harrison, E. A. (2012). Health outcomes in corrections: health information technology and the correctional health outcome and resource data set (CHORDS). Issue Paper. Web.

Born, P. (2017). A study of Affordable Care Act competitiveness in Florida. Center for Health Policy in Brookings. Web.

Kunaviktikul, W. (2014). Moving towards the greater involvement of nurses in policy development. International Nursing Review, 61(1), 1-2.

Rasmussen, P. W., Collins, S. R., Doty, M. M., & Beutel, S. (2015). Health care coverage and access in the nation’s four largest states. Results from the Commonwealth Fund Biennial Health Insurance Survey, 2014. Issue brief (Commonwealth Fund), 7, 1-12.

Soper, M. H. (2016). Integrating behavioral health into Medicaid Managed Care: Design and implementation lessons from state innovators. Center for Health Care Strategies. Web.

Thokala , P., Devlin, N., Marsh, K, Baltussen, R., Boysen, M, Kalo, Z., ….Watkins, J.(2016). Multiple criteria decision analysis for health care decision making—An introduction: Report 1 of the ISPOR MCDA emerging good practices task force. Value in Health, 19(1), 1-13.