Population Health Advocacy

Population Health Advocacy

This study is conducted to discuss about the healthcare policies that are introduced by the legislators and to investigate the role of legislator towards the policy issue and particular bill. This study will discuss the health advocacy and the role of advocates for the healthcare professionals as well as for the healthcare consumers. The impact of the policy on the specific population is also being discussed in this paper. The different stakeholders that can contribute to the promotion of this cause will also be discussed.

Health advocacy

Health advocacy plays a significant role in the promotion of health and access to healthcare. The healthcare advocates work for the different communities and for the larger public to advocate for their health issues and basic health rights. The health advocacy helps the people to make informed decisions about their health and help them to navigate the complex health system. The health advocates also help the patients to understand the meanings of medical terms (Hubinette, 2017).

Healthcare policy or Bill

In this study, the healthcare policy or bill that is discussed is presented and sponsored by Ted Budd. He is the representative in Congress from 2017. He belongs to the Republican Party. He is from North Carolina, District 13. Ted Budd has introduced the bill that was referred to the Committee on Ways and Means. The bill was presented to abandon the high deductible healthcare plan requirements for the health savings accounts. The bill was introduced on 13th January 2021. The bill is related to the current health situation of the world, the Covid 19 pandemic. The name of the Act was presented in the bill as, “Pandemic Healthcare Access Act (CONGRESS.GOV, 2021).”

This Act presented by Ted Budd was to waive high deductible health plan requirements for health savings accounts. In the section 1, the short title of the Act was presented as the Pandemic Healthcare Access Act. In the section 2 of the bill, the Access to health saving accounts was discussed. Ted Budd with other 21 co-sponsors proposed that under the subsection (c) (1) of the section 223 of the 1986 Internal Revenue Code, thereof, the period of coronavirus, in which any individual who is covered by any health plan also including the plans that are not the high deductible plan will be treated as an eligible person. Pandemic Healthcare Access Act

Ted Budd played his role as a legislator and senator by proposing that the eligible person can make the contributions to the health savings account of the individuals for the Federal tax income for the taxable year. The taxable year includes the last day of the coronavirus emergency period that was an emergency period of coronavirus beginning on 13th March 2020 (CONGRESS.GOV, 2021).

Importance of policy

This healthcare policy is important as it preserves the eligibility of a health savings account. In this emergency situation of coronavirus pandemic, it is important that such bills are passed to cover the health plans in this emergency situation. This healthcare policy would be the much-needed step towards the healthcare freedom to provide benefit to millions of US residents. This healthcare policy would provide benefit the individuals regardless of their healthcare insurance. It is providing an opportunity to all the Americans to get access to a safe vehicle for saving their money by making it tax-free for the expenditures done on the healthcare. This policy should matter to all the individuals who want to get access to make their money safer. We should play our part by supporting this bill and to ask our representatives to also support and sponsor that bill for a better healthcare environment in America. I can strengthen the policy by showing my support for the bill. In this way, the Americans get the benefit of freedom and they can choose to how they can manage their healthcare. We should support the bill Pandemic Healthcare Access Act as it addresses both the economic and healthcare issues. Therefore, there should be an expansion in HSAs in Health Savings Accounts (Norquist, 2021).

Role of health advocate

The role of a health advocate is to provide assistance, educate, and support the families so that they can make proper decisions for their healthcare issues. They provide assistance in all the issues related to patients. They educate the patients regarding the health issue, healthcare, medicines, insurance, and legal areas related to healthcare (Hubinette, 2017). I have to play the role of health advocate to advocate for the healthcare professionals and healthcare consumers by supporting the bill of healthcare access. I have the responsibility to spread public awareness about certain healthcare policies or healthcare issues.

Role as an advocate

As a health advocate, I have to work with the healthcare professionals that are working in the healthcare facility. I have to explain the financial information of the patients. I can also help the patients to understand their medical rights. As an advocate, I can make sure that all the patients are aware of the new bill that has been introduced by Ted Budd. They must be aware of the new bill or healthcare policies regarding healthcare. I can spread awareness among the patients to make it easy for them to know about the new healthcare policies and urge them to ask their representatives to support or sponsor the bill. I can educate the patients that how they can take benefit from this healthcare policy even with the healthcare insurance plan so that the healthcare consumers can urge their representatives to sponsor the bill. In this situation of the pandemic, it is important to educate the people on how they can save money on healthcare expenditures. They can save the money as the money will become tax-free on the expenditure for healthcare. In this way, many people will get the knowledge about the bill and they can help in the approval of these policies. Once the bill will be passed, there will be many people who can take benefit of this healthcare policy.

Impact of Policy

This policy has a significant impact on the particular population. The people can save their money by making it tax-free on healthcare expenditure. There will be a significant impact on the economy and on the health of the people. With the expansion of the health savings accounts, people can get relief in this pandemic situation where everyone is worried about the employment. The economy went down and the people are facing the financial issues. The access to healthcare with such policies can reduce their issues and provide them a chance to live peacefully in this pandemic situation. The government is responsible to provide such healthcare policies that can improve the health of the people. This healthcare policy can also provide benefits to the people who do not have any high deductible health plan HDHP. The people with the Medicaid and Medicare facility can also enjoy the benefits of this healthcare policy. The patients receiving healthcare facilities from Obamacare, VA, Indian health plans, and employer plans can also take the benefit of this healthcare policy. The healthcare saving accounts will be available to hundreds of millions of the Americans. Here, the healthcare saving accounts mean that government will take less money from the patients for the healthcare services and this is a tax cut, not a spending increase (Norquist, 2021).

Stakeholders Collaboration

There can be many stakeholders with whom I can collaborate to promote the cause and spread awareness about the benefits of this policy. I can work with the social workers who work to promote the solutions for the healthcare issues. I can urge them to spread awareness that how this bill can change the life in this pandemic situation. I can also urge the healthcare providers to educate the patients about the new bill and how it can provide the benefits and improve the overall health of Americans. Moreover, I can also discuss with the patients to inform them about the bill and urge them to ask their representatives to support or to sponsor the bill. I can collaborate with the media persons to spread awareness about the benefits of this new bill. I can also collaborate with the social media experts or the influencers to run a campaign to support the bill. The huge support to the bill can make it a successful healthcare policy in providing the relief during the most difficult times in the history. Many people will get the benefit from the passing of this bill in the pandemic situation.

Analytical Statement

This study concludes that the new bill of Pandemic healthcare access Act should be passed to provide benefits to the Americans. The Americans need support from the government in the form of such healthcare policies. The government has not to increase any spending but there will be a tax cut only. The health advocates should provide knowledge to the patients about the benefits of this new bill and they should collaborate with various stakeholders to promote the cause and gain support or sponsorship from different representatives. In this way, millions of Americans can enjoy the benefits of improved health during the pandemic situation.

References

CONGRESS.GOV. (2021). H.R.295 – Pandemic Healthcare Access Act. Retrieved from CONGRESS.GOV: https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/house-bill/295/

CONGRESS.GOV. (2021). Representative Ted Budd. Retrieved from CONGRESS.GOV: https://www.congress.gov/member/ted-budd/

Hubinette, M. D. (2017). Health advocacy. Medical Teacher, 39(2), 128-135.

Norquist, G. (2021). Why Health Care Saving Accounts should be expanded during coronavirus pandemic. Retrieved from Fox Business: https://www.foxbusiness.com/money/health-care-savings-accounts-coronavirus-pandemic