Pad 520 Week 3 Discussion: Provide A Real Public Policy Issu

Pad 520week 3 Discussionprovide A Real Public Policy Issue Local St

Provide a real public policy issue (local, state, or national) and select an appropriate criterion for policy prescription to use in deciding the policy’s effectiveness, efficiency, and adequacy. Provide some reasons why you selected the criterion (such as importance, application, or relevancy).

Paper For Above instruction

The selection of an effective public policy criterion is critical in evaluating the success and relevance of policies at various levels of government. For this discussion, I will focus on the national issue of healthcare accessibility and affordability in the United States, which remains a persistent challenge impacting millions of Americans. The core policy question revolves around ensuring every citizen has access to quality healthcare services without financial hardship. The criterion I select to assess the policy's effectiveness, efficiency, and adequacy is the "Equity" criterion. This choice stems from the importance of social justice and fairness, application in evaluating whether the policy narrows or widens disparities, and its overall relevance to the fundamental goals of public health policy.

Healthcare disparities have long been a concern in the United States. According to the National Health Interview Survey (NHIS, 2021), significant gaps exist in access to healthcare based on socioeconomic status, race, and geographic location. For example, racial minorities, rural populations, and low-income individuals often face barriers to obtaining necessary medical care. An equitable policy aims to eradicate these disparities, ensuring that resources and services are distributed fairly across different population groups, rather than benefiting only the privileged. From a policy perspective, evaluating this issue through an equity lens is essential because it aligns with the broader social goals of reducing health inequalities and promoting social cohesion (Braveman et al., 2017).

The effectiveness of a healthcare policy can be critically measured through its capacity to improve health outcomes equitably. For instance, if a policy successfully increases insurance coverage among underserved populations, it demonstrates effectiveness in reaching vulnerable groups. Efficiency is also gauged by assessing whether the resources dedicated produce proportionate health benefits, ensuring cost-effective distribution that maximizes coverage without excessive expenditure (Baker et al., 2020). Adequacy, meanwhile, relates to whether the policy's scope and benefits sufficiently address the needs of all population segments, especially marginalized communities who have historically been left behind in healthcare delivery (WHO, 2019).

Choosing equity as the evaluation criterion is further justified because of its high relevancy in contemporary public health debates. The COVID-19 pandemic exposed stark health inequalities and emphasized the urgency of fair resource allocation. Policies that emphasize equity are better suited to address systemic issues, such as uninsured rates, social determinants of health, and disparities in health literacy (Kawachi & Subramanian, 2020). Furthermore, equity-oriented assessments promote inclusivity, fostering policies that are designed with diverse populations in mind, ultimately leading to more sustainable and just healthcare systems.

In conclusion, for the issue of healthcare accessibility and affordability at the national level, the appropriateness of the equity criterion lies in its alignment with social justice imperatives, capacity to measure effectiveness in reducing disparities, and its broad applicability in guiding resource allocation decisions. Evaluating policies through the lens of equity ensures that efforts to improve health outcomes are fair, reach the underserved, and contribute to a more equitable society. As public policymakers strive for healthcare systems that serve all citizens equitably, ongoing assessment with this criterion remains indispensable in guiding reforms and ensuring that policies achieve their intended social justice goals.

References

• Baker, M., Collins, S., & Makai, P. (2020). Cost-effectiveness and efficiency in healthcare policy. Health Economics Review, 10(1), 12.
• Braveman, P., Arkin, E., Orleans, T., et al. (2017). What Is Health Equity?Key Concepts and Evidence. Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.
• Kawachi, I., & Subramanian, S. V. (2020). Social Cohesion and Its Implications for Public Health. Journal of Epidemiology & Community Health, 74(3), 221-225.
• National Health Interview Survey (NHIS). (2021). Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
• World Health Organization (WHO). (2019). The social determinants of health: addressing health inequities. WHO Documents.