Discussion: Presidential Agendas
To Prepare:
- Review the Resources and reflect on the importance of agenda setting.
- Consider how federal agendas promote healthcare issues and how these healthcare issues become agenda priorities.
By Day 3 of Week 1
Post your response to the discussion question: Consider a population health topic that rises to the presidential agenda level. How did two recent presidents handle the problem? What would you do differently?
By Day 6 of Week 1
Respond to at least two of your colleagues* on two different days by expanding on their response and providing an example that supports their explanation or respectfully challenging their explanation and providing an example.
ANDREA WHITE
: Discussion – Week 1
The rising cost of prescription drugs has been showcased in public outcry for years. Essential medicine is becoming less available because it is becoming less affordable to the general public. “Patent reform legislation, reference pricing, outcome-based pricing and incentivizing physicians and pharmacists to prescribe low-cost drugs are among the most promising short-term policy options” (Gronde, 2017). I very much agree with you that insulin has been highly impacted by cost increases and has become unaccessable for many. No one should have to ration their insulin or go without something els, like food because they can not afford insulin. Roughly 30 million Americans (children and adults) have Diabetes (American, 2015). Insulin is a life sustaining medication needed by roughly 7.1 million diabetics yearly. To make insulin unaffordable should be a crime. Big Pharm and government legislation should be two separate entities and not be able to profit off of each other creating a web of unafforable, distruction and dispair.
References
American Diabetes Association. (December 2015). Fast Facts Data and Statistics about Diabetes. Accessed on June 1, 2022. https://professional.diabetes.org/sites/professional.diabetes.org/files/media/fast_facts_12-2015a.pdf.
Gronde, T. V., Uyl-de Groot, C. A., & Pieters, T. (2017). Addressing the challenge of high-priced prescription drugs in the era of precision medicine: A systematic review of drug life cycles, therapeutic drug markets and regulatory frameworks. PloS one, 12(8), e0182613. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0182613
7 months ago
Caitlin Waters
RE: Discussion – Week 1
Emily,
Yes I completely agree, until those two are completely seperated I fell like the fight is going to continue on when it comes to making medications affordable for those who need it, which is very sad. Thank you for replying to my post!
Caitlin
7 months ago
Molly Lutgen
RE: Discussion – Week 1
Week 1 Discussion-Presidential Agendas
Millions of Americans cannot afford the prescription drugs they need and are often left to make the difficult decision to either go without the medications or not pay rent or bills to afford the medications. Research done in 2019 found that one in eight Americans have lost a loved one because they could not afford the cost of life-saving medication in the past five years. The number is double for those of color. Prescription drug prices can be a matter of life and death, making it a high-profile component of presidential agendas. (Ashoka, 2022).
Presidents Trump’s campaign included promises to replace Obamacare, expand coverage, allow cross-states insurance coverage, and reduce drug prices. Trump also proposed to let foreign pharmaceutical drugs be sold in the United States to lower drug prices. During his presidency, Trump passed two executive orders. The first order was to minimize the economic burden of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act to promote healthcare choice and competition. The second order was the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act to contain drug prices. While the Trump administration made some functional changes in drug affordability, most of the efforts focused on replacing Obamacare, and no consensus was reached on replacing the ACA (Dabbous et al.,2019).
President Biden’s plans to reduce the cost of prescription drugs include letting Medicare negotiate drug prices for high-cost prescription drugs through Medicare part D and part B for seniors. The second part of the plan would be to impose tax penalties if drug companies increase their prices faster than inflation, and the third plan is to directly lower out-of-pocket costs for seniors. The plan would also include lower insulin prices, no more than thirty-five dollars per month (WH.GOV).
While I agree with certain aspects of both presidential agendas, I think that prescription medications should be available and affordable to all people regardless of insurance coverage; however, this is not likely an attainable goal. The pharmaceutical industry is compelling and is a significant deterrent in decreasing drug prices. However, Congress has the power and ability to make changes, but I do not believe this will happen anytime soon. I hope that strides to improve drug costs continue for all people and that efforts to increase affordable healthcare remain a top priority of presidential agendas.
References
Ashoka. (2022). How to fix the drug pricing crisis-and the patent problem fueling it. Forbes. https://www.forbes.com
Dabbous, M., François, C., Chachoua, L., & Toumi, M. (2019). President trump’s prescription to reduce drug prices: From the campaign trail to American patients first. Journal of Market Access & Health Policy, 7(1), 1579597. https://doi.org/10.1080/20016689.2019.1579597
The white house. (2021). President Biden announces prescription drug pricing plan to build back better framework. https://www.whitehouse.gov/breifing-room/statements-releases
7 months ago
Kasey Garrison
RE: Discussion – Week 1
Peer Response One
I also agree that there are aspects of this agenda item that both presidents did appropriately. What frustrates me though is how they tend to get in their own way. For example, President Trump finalized a requirement the directed the HHS to make insulin and injectable epinephrine available to low-income patients (Sullivan, 2022). The medications were meant to require a small administrative fee to support documentation required to continue the program. Ultimately, this action was delayed twice by the Biden administration and then completely rescinded.
While Joe Biden is considering initiating a maximum copay of 35 dollars for insulin for those on a medicare plan, not thing has been initiated as of yet. Nor does his Affordable Insulin Now Act assist those who do not have access to insurance at all (Hoskins, 2022). If our presidents were able to lead with an intent to show consistency in such health agenda matters, President Trumps plan would have started this summer, providing financial relief to many. While I think both presdients have made excellent points and both actions could create improvemnt in the financial burden of many Americans, I feel that a combination of the two, instead of elimination of one, would have served American’s better as whole, provided consistency, and served those with the greatest need.
References
Hoskins, M. (2022). Insulin Prices Taking Center Stage In President Biden’s Administration. Retrieved From Https://Www.Healthline.Com/Diabetesmine/President-Biden-Talks-Insulin-Prices
Sullivan, T. (2022). Biden Administration Rescinds Trump Administration Insulin Pricing Rule. Retrieved From Https://Www.Policymed.Com/2021/10/Biden-Administration-Rescinds-Trump-Administration-Insulin-Pricing-Rule.Html
7 months ago
Carie Braun WALDEN INSTRUCTOR MANAGER
Braun question to Lutgen
Molly,
This is a great topic to explore! You are ideally positioned to participate in health policy simply because you are a nurse. You have the experience and education needed to make a difference. Milstead & Short (2019) talk about nurses being change agents. In what ways have you already been a change agent at work or in other arenas that you encounter? How could you influence drug pricing as a nurse?
Milstead, J. A., & Short, N. M. (2019). Health policy and politics: A nurse’s guide (6th ed.). Burlington, MA: Jones & Bartlett Learning.
6 months ago
Molly Lutgen
RE: Braun question to Lutgen
Hi Dr.Baun,
Working in a cardiac unit, we discharge many people home on medications new to them, some very expensive. I ensure patients receive the medications free or at a discount rate; however, it is usually for the first month of the medication. It is very frustrating when people come back to the hospital and are not taking their prescription due to the price of the medication. Nurses are great advocates for patients and their families but are capable of much more, and I look forward to learning about the processes. Nurses are becoming a significant source of information for elected and pointed officials. They demonstrate leadership and can participate in planning and decision-making to move healthcare issues forward to make positive changes (Milstead & Short, 2019).
Molly
Jeri A. Milstead, Nancy M. Short & Jeri A. Milstead, Nancy M. Short. (2019). Health policy and politics (6th ed.). Jones & Bartlett Learning.
6 months ago
Carie Braun WALDEN INSTRUCTOR MANAGER
RE: Braun question to Lutgen
Molly,
Thank you so much for your response. I appreciate your understanding of the role of nurse as advocate. This course will hopefully help to clarify that role at a policy level. I want you to build your confidence in this arena as it can make a huge difference to the lives of thousands. Dr. Braun
6 months ago
Dysyan Malone
RE: Discussion – Week 1
Second Peer Response
Molly,
I work in the ED and I can’t begin to tell you how many patients I have had come in due to running out of medications and not being able to afford them, especially diabetes patients. Over 30 million Americans have diabeties costing the United States over 327 billion per year (Driesbach, 2021). I have a love/hate relationship with DKA because most of the time I get a patient who hasn’t taken their insulin in days, weeks, or even months, is usually in DKA and they earned themself an overnight stay or two in the hospital. Some of the patients have no symptoms at all, or some of their symptoms are really bad. I find it very sad because without insulin, people will die and have died. People should not have to choose between feeding their family, or buying their insulin. One vial of Humalog (insulin lispro), which used to cost $21 in 1999, costs $332 in 2019 (Rajkumar, 2019). A study in 2018 estimated that one vial of human insulin costs only $2.28- $3.42 to produce and that one vial of analog insulin costs only $3.69- $6.16 to produce (Driesbach, 2021). If insulin cost very little to produce, then why can these pharmaceutical companies charge an astronomical amount and continue to get away with it. Insulin isn’t “new” either so why the price continue to go up when families can’t afford it to begin with I find very sad, and disheartening. The presidents have spoken and presented great ideas, but until something takes actions and the pharmaceutical companies are held accountable, nothing will change Discussion: Presidential Agendas.
Rajkumar, V. (2019). The high cost of insulin in the United States: An urgent call to action … Mayo Clinic. Retrieved June from https://www.mayoclinicproceedings.org/article/S0025-6196(19)31008-0/fulltext
Driesbach, A. (202). The Cost of Insulin. Ashleys Blog. Retrieved from https://sites.psu.edu/apd5648/2021/04/07/the-cost-of-insulin/
6 months ago
Emily Vivlamore
RE: Discussion – Week 1
Hi Molly,
I have similar thoughts when it comes to prescription affordability. Trump and Biden have both made changes and promises to make prescriptions more affordable and to lower taxes to make medication more affordable as well but it has yet to come to fruition in the long-term. Often an issue with med compliance from patients is the fact that they cannot afford their medication. But another equally important fact to lack of med compliance from patients is there provider’s lack of knowledge related to cost of the medications they are prescribing.
If you take a look back in history it is overwhelming how much the pharmaceutical companies have grossed in profit and how much the government and private pharmaceutical companies have financially benefited from the cost, inflation and taxes that Americans have to pay to be able to receive there prescribed medication. Looking back “prescription drugs accounted for $93 billion in health care costs in 1998 and are the fastest growing component of health expenditures” (Reichert S, 2000). “Total drug expenditures are estimated to have reached $120 billion in 1999, making medication costs the second most expensive item in the national health care budget, surpassing the cost of hospital care” (Reichert S, 2000). Now looking forward to 2021 “total drug spending in the U.S. grew 7.7% in 2021 compared to 2020, hitting $576.9 billion in total spend, and this trend is expected to continue, with an estimated 4 to 6% increase in national drug spending in 2022, according to a new report from the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists” (Lagasse, 2022). We can conclude that the government has not yet managed to make prescription medication more affordable with the American people but big pharm is certainly thriving and gaining profit at an expediential rate.
Reference
Lagasse J. (April 13, 2022). Healthcare Finance. National drug spending grew almost 8% in 2021 and is still rising. Retrieved on June 4, 2022. https://www.healthcarefinancenews.com/news/national-drug-spending-grew-almost-8-2021-and-still-rising.
Reichert S, Simon T, Halm EA. Physicians’ Attitudes About Prescribing and Knowledge of the Costs of Common Medications. Arch Intern Med. 2000;160(18):2799–2803. doi:10.1001/archinte.160.18.2799
6 months ago
Pamela Williams
RE: Discussion – Week 1
Molly, I thoroughly enjoyed reading your post. As a former pharmacy technician and now nurse, I understand how the cost of medications can impact our patients. The result is nonadherence to drugs, which only progresses to worsening health conditions. Sadly, most of you are in this situation have a chronic illness. Consequences of nonadherence include worsening conditions, increased comorbid diseases, increased health care costs, and death. While working as a pharmacy technician, I sadly encountered many patients who had to decide between paying their bills or getting their prescriptions. According to Shahriar, “Prescription drug price increases inflate national health spending and are disproportionately felt by patients who are uninsured or have high deductibles.” Occasionally, I assisted patient’s lower the cost of the medications with prescription discount cards or through my previous employer’s medication discount programs. Sadly, there were times when it was more beneficial for the patient to pay out of pocket and use one of those programs than to go through their insurance. Past and current administrations have both demonstrated they have the hope to eliminate the issue at hand, yet no government as of yet has been shown it can rid the human race of sickness or death. Thankfully we are not at a loss. I look towards a better government governed from heaven, which has promised that one day all forms of sickness and death will be removed permanently.
References
Chisholm-Burns, M. A., & Spivey, C. A. (2012). The ‘cost’ of medication nonadherence: Consequences we cannot afford to accept. Journal of the American Pharmacists Association, 52(6), 823–826. https://doi.org/10.1331/japha.2012.11088
mende434. (2021, June 18). Two U of M medical school studies provide new evidence to battle drug price increases. Medical School – University of Minnesota. Retrieved June 4, 2022, from https://med.umn.edu/news-events/two-u-m-medical-school-studies-provide-new-evidence-battle-drug-price-increases
.
7 months ago
Kasey Garrison
RE: Discussion – Week 1
Main Post
Two presidents with two very different approaches to the opioid crisis within the United States. The year prior to Donald Trump’s presidency, opioid deaths were at an astounding 64,000 per year (Ending America’s Opioid Crisis, n.d.). To put this number is perspective, in 2016 alone 10,000 more people died in of opioid related causes than currently live in the entire city of Olympia, Washington’s state capital (U.S. Capitals by Population 2022, n.d.).
The Trump administration outlined 3 different target areas in the effort to defeat this very unnecessary loss of life within the United States. The first area of focus was education, followed by stopping the movement of illegal opioids into the United States and creating safer prescribing plans, lastly, he worked to create evidence-based treatment plans for those struggling with active addiction (Ending America’s Opioid Crisis, n.d).
This resulted in the take down of one of the largest narcotic trafficking organizations into the United States. Our nation also saw a 20% increase in American’s receiving outpatient for active addiction. As well as a decrease in the number of opioid prescriptions provided by doctors (Ending America’s Opioid Crisis, n.d.).
The Biden administration’s goal has also been focused on decreasing the number of lives needlessly taken by opioid addiction. Yet their focus has shifted slightly. For example, the Biden administration halted development of the boarder wall, one of the primary elements the Trump administration outlined as a necessary tool in their plan to combat illegal opioids (Schwartzbach, n.d).
The Biden administration has also focused on expanding the funds available to already established programs such as The American Rescue Plan, essentially increasing access to mental health services. As well as putting funding into newer programs such as HHS Overdose Prevention Strategy which focuses both on prevention and treatment (FACT SHEET: Actions the Biden-Harris Administration has Taken to Address Addiction and the Overdose Epidemic, 2021).
My greatest concern in regard to both of these presidents, is the lack of consistency. Arguably, this isn’t specific to either of these 2 individuals, but more so a consistent pattern from the change over of one president, to another. Even if you do not necessarily agree with the actions taken by one president to curb a health care concern within our nation, I believe it is important to note that a four year, or even two four-year terms, is hardly enough time to build and see the success or failure of a new program. For this reason, one thing I would do differently is continue on with the previous president’s initiates as a whole until I can appropriately document success, or failure. I would also contribute a greater financial means to only very well proven programs instead a mass number of programs. I feel like honing in on what works and making sure resources are being pushed only in those directions, will be of greater benefit to the society as a whole.
References
Ending America’s Opioid Crisis – The White House. (n.d.). Trumpwhitehouse.archives.gov. https://trumpwhitehouse.archives.gov/opioids/
FACT SHEET: Actions the Biden-Harris Administration has Taken to Address Addiction and the Overdose Epidemic. (2021, November 17). The White House. https://www.whitehouse.gov/ondcp/briefing-room/2021/11/17/fact-sheet-actions-the-biden-harris-administration-has-taken-to-address-addiction-and-the-overdose-epidemic/
Schwartzbach, K. (n.d.). Joe Biden’s and Donald Trump’s Presidential Opioid Policies. American Addiction Centers. https://americanaddictioncenters.org/blog/presidential-opioid-policies
US State Capitals by Population 2022. (n.d.). Worldpopulationreview.com. Retrieved May 29, 2022, from https://worldpopulationreview.com/states/state-capitals
7 months ago
Carie Braun WALDEN INSTRUCTOR MANAGER
Braun question to Garrison
Kasey,
Thank you so much for your post! Your issue is an important one. DeMarco and Tufts (2014) detail how to write a policy brief. One element of the policy brief is the position statement. What position do you take on the issue that you have addressed? You mention a position on keeping things steady between administrations but do you have a preference about how the policy shoudl look?
DeMarco, R., & Tufts, K.A. (2014). The mechanics of writing a policy brief. Nursing Outlook, 62(3), 219-224. Doi:10.1016/j.outlook.2014.04.002
6 months ago
Hana Benjamin
RE: Discussion Week 1: Response 2
Hi Kasey,
Both of our thinking is on the same wavelength. I would continue with the previous president’s initiatives in general but advocate strongly for amendments based on areas of failure. Those areas of success can remain. It is essential to revamp finances into effectively proven programs. I strongly believe in change through teaching and gaining knowledge. And in the testing of knowledge acquired. You would make a great nurse lobbyist and policy brief writer. Your attention focuses on solutions to problems. (DeMarco & Tufts, 2014).
According to Walden University (2018), networking with elected officials opens the door to catching their ears. Once you grab their attention, present your concise policy brief reflecting on a significant concern and real solution from frontline health professional. Finally, we both view it alike. Solve the areas that need fixes and leave them to rest the areas that work.
References
DeMarco, R., & Tufts, K.A. (2014). The mechanics of writing a policy brief.
Nursing Outlook, 62(3), 219-224.
Walden University, LLC. (Producer). (2018). Setting the Agenda [Video
file]. Baltimore, MD: Author.
Hana Benjamin
6 months ago
Chukwuemeka Uchendu
RE: Discussion Week 1: Response 2
I Will Rather Support Administration that enhmaces adeaquate Access to Mental Health Issue as Rapid as it can .
6 months ago
Molly Lutgen
RE: Discussion – Week 1
Hi Kasey,
I agree that there is a lack of consistency in general with both parties. Furthermore, agreeably, a four-year term is not long enough to make significant progress, especially with an issue such as the opioid crisis. There are multiple layers to this health issue, and is only gotten worse since the first wave of opioid overdose deaths in 1999. From 1999-to 2019, nearly 500,000 people died from opioid overdose, including illicit and prescription opioids (CDC). I agree that more needs to be done, and resources should be allocated to programs with proven success.
Molly
Centers for disease control and prevention. (2021, March 17). Understanding the epidemic. https://www.cdc.gov.
6 months ago
Desiree Deutchoua
RE: Discussion – Week 1
Kasey,
Hello Garrison, your article on the presidential approach towards population health issues is accurate and informative. You have described the interventions employed by the last two presidential administrations in solving the opioid crisis over the past few decades. The opioid crisis provides a perfect case study example of the impacts of a health issue and its effects on the affected population. The paper outlines the critical interventions applied by the Trump and the Biden administrations.
Trump’s administration focused on evidence-based care plans, prevention of trafficking and illegal distribution of opioids, and creating awareness of the implication and management of the opioid epidemic (Schwartzbach, n.d). The Biden administration focused mainly on increasing funding to the already existing implementations. The primary goal of this intervention is to facilitate access and efficiency of these strategies. The interventions taken by both administrations are necessary but require consistency and enforcement of the recommended actions. The government also needs to fund and conduct studies to establish the best approach and actions to solve this issue more conveniently and effectively.
Reference
Schwartzbach, K. (n.d.). Joe Biden’s and Donald Trump’s Presidential Opioid Policies. American Addiction Centers. https://americanaddictioncenters.org/blog/presidential-opioid-policies
6 months ago
Nastasia Anzalone
RE: Discussion – Week 1
Hello Kasey,
I enjoyed reading your discussion this week and I agree with your statement I also feel as though there is lack of consistency in both presidents’ plans. The opioid epidemic is a major crisis in this country and the lack of a reliable plan on how to tackle this issue is concerning. There are many organizations and contributing factors that play a role to the opioid epidemic crisis. Some factors being the over prescription of narcotics by physicians, pharmaceutical companies, and mental health. One of the reasons many Americans developed an addiction to opioids was due to Purdue Pharma who in 1995 manufactured Oxycontin as a pain reliever for moderate aches and pains. Purdue Pharma sponsored an aggressive campaign to push Oxycontin to many physicians across the nation. Thus began the uprise of the opioid epidemic. (National Library of Medicine, 2017, for more details).
People suffering from mental health illnesses may turn to drugs and alcohol as coping mechanisms. “Mental health problems can sometimes lead to alcohol or drug use, as some people with mental health problems may misuse these substances as a form of self-medication” (Mental Health, 2022). Clearly there are many factors that contributed to the opioid epidemic. Hopefully more can be done in the coming years to reverse the damage. I would suggest there being a limit to the number of narcotics prescribed by physicians along with monitoring to make sure polypharmacy does not occur.
References:
National Library of Medicine. (2017, Mar-Apr). The opioid epidemic: it’s time to place blame where it belongs. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6140023/
Mental Health. (2022, Mar 10). Mental health and substance use co-occuring disorders. https://www.mentalhealth.gov/what-to-look-for/mental-health-substance-use-disorders
6 months ago
Kayley Smith-James
RE: Discussion – Week 1
Kasey,
The opioid crisis struck my attention in this discussion post also. According to The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA, 2022), May 2020 to April 2021 saw the highest number of overdose deaths recorded in a 12-month period, 100,000 people. The number has been rising since the 1990s. I do not think any president can claim success yet. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC, n.d.) shared results from a study that found bystanders were present in one out of three opioid overdoses in 2019. One way to reduce the number of opioid overdoses is the availability of naloxone. Naloxone can be carried as easily as an EpiPen and administered as quickly. Another way to prevent overdose is by educating the community on Good Samaritan Laws. Good Samaritan Laws protect anyone overdosing and people assisting that person from charges and arrest. Maybe more people have a chance of surviving if Naloxone and Good Samaritan education is spread throughout communities.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration. (2022). Naloxone access: Answering questions. https://www.fda.gov/drugs/news-events-human-drugs/naloxone-access-answering-questions-03292022
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (n.d.). Lifesaving naloxone. https://www.cdc.gov/stopoverdose/naloxone/index.html
6 months ago
Kayley Smith-James
RE: Discussion – Week 1
Edit
Kasey,
The opioid crisis struck my attention in this discussion post also. According to The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA, 2022), May 2020 to April 2021 saw the highest number of overdose deaths recorded in a 12-month period, 100,000 people. The number has been rising since the 1990s. I do not think any president can claim success yet. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC, n.d.) shared results from a study that found bystanders were present in one out of three opioid overdoses in 2019. One way to reduce the number of opioid overdoses is the availability of naloxone. Naloxone can be carried as easily as an EpiPen and administered as quickly. Another way to prevent overdose is by educating the community on Good Samaritan Laws. Good Samaritan Laws protect anyone overdosing and people assisting that person from charges and arrest (CDC, n.d.). Maybe more people have a chance of surviving if Naloxone and Good Samaritan education is spread throughout communities.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration. (2022). Naloxone access: Answering questions. https://www.fda.gov/drugs/news-events-human-drugs/naloxone-access-answering-questions-03292022
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (n.d.). Lifesaving naloxone. https://www.cdc.gov/stopoverdose/naloxone/index.html
6 months ago
Tricia Loper
RE: Discussion – Week 1
Kasey,
I agree that consistency and funding with programs is much needed to provide better treatment and access for those struggling with opioid addiction. “In 2019 opioid overdoses killed nearly 50,000 people” (Felter, 2022). Even with recovery and mental health programs available, decreased written prescriptions, and continued drug busts the provisional data per the CDC shows at the end of 2021 there were over 80,000 people in the United States who died from opioid overdoses (CDC. n.d.). To me the increase has occurred in the last couple of years due to restrictions to the availability of support programs during the pandemic. What are your thoughts?
CDC. (n.d). Vital Statistics Rapid Release: Provisional Drug Overdose Death Counts. Retrieved on June 5, 2022, from https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/nvss/vsrr/drug-overdose-data.htm
Felter, Claire. (2022). Council on Foreign Relation: The U.S. Opioid Epidemic. Retrieved on June 4, 2022, from https://www.cfr.org/backgrounder/us-opioid-epidemic
7 months ago
Hope Solomon
RE: Discussion – Week 1
One of the major health topics that is constantly discussed during the election period is the issue of health care & prescription prices. Every year, millions of people are unable to afford their medications because the price is way costlier compared to the average family monthly income. (G. Claxton, 2015). Be it President Obama, President Trump, or the current President, Biden, each campaign has tried different strategies to help reduce overall cost of healthcare/medications. In March 2010, President Obama signed the affordable care act (ACA) in order to improve access to affordable health coverage for everyone and protect consumers from abusive insurance companies (Center for health and economy, 2016). President Trump offered a repeal and replaced proposal titled “healthcare reform to make America great again” which basically seek to repeal the president Obama’s health coverage. Trump’s plans seek to remove requirements in the ACA and enact policies including tax deductions and the ability to sell plans across states.
President Biden approach to the health care is to build on the affordable care act by lowering the cost and expanding the coverage for all (Biden Harris, 2022). This can be done through various strategies such as lowering premiums, having a special enrollment period, and expanding care for Americans with disabilities, among others (2015). I believe regardless of which route was taken by these various presidents, change needs to happen. Most times it is easier to talk about a political topic, but harder to act on them. I believe the affordable care act, for example wasn’t created on equal grounds. Lots of Americans are unable to afford the healthcare and which creates issues for getting quality care. I believe a system should be created in order to cut taxes to make things affordable for all. Discussion: Presidential Agendas
References
Center for Health and Economy, Healthcare Reform to Make America Great Again (H&E, July 7, 2016); and Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget, “Analysis of Donald Trump’s Health Care Plan” (CRFB, May 9, 2016).
The United States Government. (2022, April 4). Fact sheet: Biden Harris Administration proposes rule to fix “Family glitch” and Lower Health Care Costs. The White House. Retrieved May 31, 2022, from https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2022/04/05/fact-sheet-biden-harris-administration-proposes-rule-to-fix-family-glitch-and-lower-health-care
- Claxton, M. Rae, N. Panchal et al., “Health Benefits in 2015: Stable Trends in the Employer Market,” Health Affairs, Oct. 2015 34(10):1779–88
6 months ago
Kasey Garrison
RE: Discussion – Week 1
Peer Response Two
I very strongly agree. Both plans are complicated, expensive and come with significant downsides. I also have very strong concerns about the actual benefit of such programs as the Affordable Care Act. Since it’s creation, growth of Medicaid utilization decreased from 5% per year to 3% percent per year (State and Federal Spending Under the ACA, n.d.). While this number sounds significant, it doesn’t tell us anything about the change in cost from the taxpayer’s wallet. I feel that it may be much more beneficial to decrease the cost of healthcare at its source. Yet fear that because all elected officials have to bring to the table great new ideas, we are instead stuck in a cycle of continuous grandiose band aid plans. I personally would love to see a whole health or access to functional medicine be placed on the president’s healthcare agenda. This type of medicine, focused solely on healing the body to the greatest extent possible and eliminating the need for medications, promotes health that is long lasting, thorough, and has great ability to decrease the cost of healthcare to all Americans (Why Functional Medicine Matters, n.d).
References
State and federal spending under the ACA. (n.d.). MACPAC. https://www.macpac.gov/subtopic/state-and-federal-spending-under-the-aca/
Why Functional Medicine Matters. (n.d.). The Institute for Functional Medicine. Retrieved June 2, 2022, from https://www.ifm.org/functional-medicine/why-functional-medicine-matters/