The Policy Process: Part I
LaSantae Drew
HCS/455
May 20, 2013

The policy process is an ongoing event according to Kronenfeld (1997). When a policy is formulated there are two major parts; agenda setting and development of legislation. After these stages then the implementation stage begins. The way issues emerge can bring public awareness to a situation, such as the need for healthcare reform in the United States and eliminating the uninsured population. There are various stages of the policy process required to address this issue which include the formulation stage, legislative stage and the implementation stage.
Policy formulation begins with problems, possible solutions and political circumstances (Kingdon, 2009). Identifying
H.R. 676 proposes a fair and equitable single payer healthcare plan which will expand on the current Medicare program. All Americans will be eligible, and under this plan medication, dental care, nursing home care, primary care, and preventative care will all be offered at prices that everyone can afford, including the uninsured and underinsured population (Conyers, 2009).
If H.R. 676 is approved and signed then the appropriate agency drafts rules and regulations implementing law at which point legislation must approve at the next session. If H.R. 676 is approved and implemented, Legislation will need to state what should be done, how it should be done, and decide other activities that need to be arranged such as organizing, financing, staffing, and control mechanisms (Byat, n.d.). The success of a policy also depends on how well it is implemented.
The United States healthcare system is flawed; people are dying due to inequality in access to health care. According to Davis (2007), when an uninsured individual presents for medical treatment, he or she will be charged the full amount for service because they do not benefit from insurance provider negotiated benefit discounts. The uninsured are at a disadvantage and the inequalities in healthcare need to end. Some states in America are not waiting for Washington to take action (Slone, 2007). Massachusetts, for example, has implemented bold initiatives with health