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Health Care Policy

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Medicare Policy Process
Brandy Marsh
HCS 455
December 12, 2011
John (Jay) Cutspec

Medicare Policy Process
The health care, policy-making process is composed of three major stages; the formulation stage, legislative stage, and the implementation stage. The policy process refers to the specific decisions and events that are required for a policy to be proposed, considered, and finally either implemented and/or set aside. It is an interactive process with multiple points of access providing opportunities to influence the multiple decision makers involved at each stage (Abood, 2007). Each stage presents a unique set of events for a policy to be proposed, considered, and either implemented or rejected. In the formulation stage there is …show more content…

In 1962 President Kennedy proposed a new version of Medicare, and again it failed in Congress. In 1964 the Medicare Program was passed by the senate, but was then blocked in conference by the House (DeWitt, 2003). It was not until twenty years later, in 1965, that President Johnson finally signed Medicare into law as an amendment to the Social Security Legislation. It was composed of two parts; Part A and Part B. Part A provides coverage for hospital insurance, and Part B provides coverage for medical insurance. In 1972 disabled persons under age 65 and those with end-stage renal disease become eligible for coverage. In 1997 Part C was added, which gave Medicare enrollees the option to choose a private provider for their medical coverage. Then in 2006 Part D was added. Anyone who is enrolled in Medicare Part A and B is automatically enrolled in the Part D prescription Drug program, which provided reduced-cost prescriptions. Because of the need for adequate health care for the elderly and disabled individuals, Medicare was formulated.
After Medicare was formulated and signed into law, it then entered the implementation stage of the policy making process. In the implementation stage the policy is put into effect, and begins after the policy is signed into law. In this phase, the proposed policy is transformed into a plan of action (International Council of Nurses, 2005). The policy then needs to be administered, funded,

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