Chamberlain College of Nursing 506

Policy Priority Issue
Lisa Borbon
Chamberlain
Healthcare Policy
NR506
Professor Frazier
July 27, 2013

Policy Priority Issue
Those who utilize the Medicaid system range from low income families to the over 65 age group. Within this population is also those who are disabled due to physical or mental problems. This is among the sickliest of our American population. A paper based on a study in Oregon stated that “Medicaid significantly increased the probability of being diagnosed with diabetes, and being on diabetes medication as well as high blood pressure and high cholesterol.”(Baicker et al., 2013, p. 1715). Much of this is due to the struggle that the Medicaid beneficiary has
Steps to Change
There is much conversation in government today that would expand the Medicaid program, but there is no discussion on payment to physicians, hospitals and other providers, which is the main problem at hand. A system that would most be beneficial is one that is centered on the patient-doctor relationship (Felland, Lechner, & Sommers, 2013). This would not only improve the standard of care given to the patient but help with the fiscal decline related to a very broken system that is presently in place. Our aim should be to stop the decision making from the government, and transfer this power to the individual as well as promote individual responsibility for healthcare choices. A policy that would restructure the financing of healthcare to assist low-income families and medically needy Americans to purchase coverage that would best meet their needs and their medical situations. This approach would need to be Nationwide and would be a great undertaking to accomplish. The rational approach model would be the model of choice for this type of change. It would take many years to accomplish based on financial barrier as it pertains to the various budgets at the state and federal levels. However, the end result would be that a personal ownership of health insurance, and control over the flow of dollars in the health care system, this will enhance personal