Policy Process Part I
Policy Process Part I
Women’s health care needs will always maintain a policy status as technology and changes in medicine or services occur. As long as women continue to dominate stakeholder status, reforms of programs are very much in need so that every women regardless of status can receive quality care without high cost, restrictions, or refusals for pre-existing conditions “because being a women is not a pre-existing condition” (KaiserEDU.org, 2012a, p. 1). So to understand the processes of how policies affect women’s health, the following explanation of the three stages will provide insight into how a topic might become a policy or fail to become a policy that affects women’s health care.
Formulation Stage The formulation process begins with an idea or an approach that could solve a problem. The process also involves one or more parties such as interest groups, the executive branch, the courts, or Congress. The problem or idea is usually not in consideration for policy until it becomes a well-known issue in society or a problem that has seen a serious rise above what society will tolerate. For example, the issue on women’s health such as, coverage and access to care. The number one priority is to cover those women currently uninsured, the scope of coverage, and to address the rising cost of health care (KaiserEDU.org, 2012c). Women’s health care is such a topic that it is still an ongoing discussion and will continue to be so until these issues become clear policies that every woman in the United States has access to quality health care and access to affordable health care. That is where the pressures begin to put forth a topic, mount pressure on the legislative branch, and gain support from parties who share the same ideas or have a political agenda of their own.
Legislative Stage The legislative process begins when the idea gains attention by an interest group or legislative branch. Sometimes these ideas take on a life of
Women’s health care needs will always maintain a policy status as technology and changes in medicine or services occur. As long as women continue to dominate stakeholder status, reforms of programs are very much in need so that every women regardless of status can receive quality care without high cost, restrictions, or refusals for pre-existing conditions “because being a women is not a pre-existing condition” (KaiserEDU.org, 2012a, p. 1). So to understand the processes of how policies affect women’s health, the following explanation of the three stages will provide insight into how a topic might become a policy or fail to become a policy that affects women’s health care.
Formulation Stage The formulation process begins with an idea or an approach that could solve a problem. The process also involves one or more parties such as interest groups, the executive branch, the courts, or Congress. The problem or idea is usually not in consideration for policy until it becomes a well-known issue in society or a problem that has seen a serious rise above what society will tolerate. For example, the issue on women’s health such as, coverage and access to care. The number one priority is to cover those women currently uninsured, the scope of coverage, and to address the rising cost of health care (KaiserEDU.org, 2012c). Women’s health care is such a topic that it is still an ongoing discussion and will continue to be so until these issues become clear policies that every woman in the United States has access to quality health care and access to affordable health care. That is where the pressures begin to put forth a topic, mount pressure on the legislative branch, and gain support from parties who share the same ideas or have a political agenda of their own.
Legislative Stage The legislative process begins when the idea gains attention by an interest group or legislative branch. Sometimes these ideas take on a life of
References: Continued The World Bank (2011). Private health policy toolkit. Regulatory players in health. Retrieved October 22, 2012 from, https://www.wbginvestmentclimate.org/toolkits/public-policy- toolkit/mod2step6sub3.cfm Theodoulou and Kofinis (2004). Lesson 5. Public policy-making: Implementation, evaluation, change, and termination. Retrieved October 26, 2012 from, https://courses.worldcampus.psu.edu/welcome/plsc490/print.html