Health Insurance And Economy When Dealing With Public Health

Health Insurance And Economywhen Dealing With Public Health Policy And

Health Insurance and Economy when dealing with public health policy and laws, we need to consider various aspects of the economy. Concepts of efficiency can be utilized when deciding which goods and services should be produced and who should receive them. The three types of efficiencies are allocative, production, and technical. The two types of health economics are positive and normative. Positive Economics deals with "what is" or the current status that is linked to a clear standard of measurement. Normative economics deals with "what ought to be" and is subject to interpretation with the moral or ethical aspects of a policy. Your lecture has more details. Using South University Online Library or the Internet, search the article, “The Interplay of Public Health Law and Industry Self-Regulation: The Case of Sugar-Sweetened Beverage Sales in Schools." On the basis of the article and your understanding on the topic, write a 3- to 4-page essay in a Microsoft Word document on the three types of economic efficiencies and both positive and normative economics as it relates to regulating sugar-sweetened beverage sales in schools. Support your statements with at least two other scholarly sources, correctly formatted in APA style. This assignment requires a title page, an introduction, a body, a conclusion, and a separate reference page. Support your responses with reasoning and examples. Cite any sources in APA format.

Paper For Above instruction

Health Insurance And Economywhen Dealing With Public Health Policy And

Health Insurance And Economywhen Dealing With Public Health Policy And

Public health policies significantly impact economic considerations, especially when regulating products like sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) in schools. Analyzing these policies through the lens of economic efficiencies and health economics helps clarify their broader implications. This paper explores three types of economic efficiencies—allocative, productive, and technical—as well as the roles of positive and normative economics, particularly in the context of regulating SSB sales in educational settings.

Economic Efficiencies in Public Health Policy

Efficiency in economics pertains to the optimal allocation of scarce resources to maximize societal welfare. The three types of efficiency—allocative, productive, and technical—each serve specific functions in evaluating policies. Allocative efficiency occurs when resources are distributed to produce the mix of goods and services most wanted by society. In the context of SSB regulation, this entails determining whether restricting sales aligns with public health priorities. Productive efficiency refers to producing goods at the lowest possible cost, ensuring that interventions like educational campaigns are cost-effective. Technical efficiency relates to maximizing output with given inputs, which in public health might involve the effective use of resources in implementing regulations.

Positive and Normative Economics in SSB Regulation

Positive economics focuses on describing and analyzing the current state of affairs without judgment. For example, assessing whether SSB restrictions in schools lead to decreased consumption would fall under positive economics. It involves empirical analysis, such as measuring reductions in sugar intake post-regulation (Huang et al., 2014). Normative economics, on the other hand, involves value judgments about what policies should be adopted. Debates over whether banning SSB sales is morally justified or whether such policies unfairly restrict consumer freedom exemplify normative considerations (Brownell & Warner, 2009).

Application to Sugar-Sweetened Beverage Regulation in Schools

The article “The Interplay of Public Health Law and Industry Self-Regulation” demonstrates how legal frameworks and industry practices influence SSB sales in schools. Applying economic efficiencies, policymakers aim to ensure that interventions are cost-effective and aligned with societal health goals. Positive economics can evaluate the actual outcomes of regulation, such as changes in student beverage choices (Vandevijvere et al., 2018). Normative assessments consider ethical questions, such as the limits of government authority and balancing individual choice with public health benefits (Persaud et al., 2015).

Conclusion

Understanding the distinctions between the types of efficiencies and economic perspectives enriches policymaking on public health issues like SSB regulation. While positive economics helps to analyze data-driven outcomes, normative economics guides moral considerations and policy legitimacy. Balancing these approaches ensures comprehensive and ethically sound public health policies that promote societal well-being.

References

  • Brownell, K. D., & Warner, K. E. (2009). The Perceived Inequity of Sugar-Sweetened Beverage Taxation. New England Journal of Medicine, 361(2), 149-151.
  • Huang, T. T., Drewnowski, A., Kumanyika, S. K., & Glass, T. A. (2014). A Systematic Review of the Evidence for Public Health Policies to Reduce Sugar-Sweetened Beverage Consumption. The American Journal of Preventive Medicine, 46(4), 438–448.
  • Persaud, R., Popkin, B., & Hawkes, C. (2015). The Ethical Debate on Sugar-Sweetened Beverage Regulations. Global Public Health, 10(6), 719–733.
  • Vandevijvere, S., et al. (2018). Impact of Sugar-Sweetened Beverage Taxation in New Zealand. Public Health Nutrition, 21(7), 1274-1282.