Nursing Advocacy Through Legislation

NB: We do not resell your papers. Upon ordering, we do an original paper exclusively for you.

NB: All your data is kept safe from the public.

Table of Contents

Problem
Idea for Addressing Solution
The Issue
Financial Incentives/Costs
Christian Principles and Nursing Advocacy
References

Problem

In the state of New York, the current problem related to nursing that requires advocacy is the dysfunctionality and inaccessibility of proper healthcare coverage for all citizens. According to Scheinker et al. (2021), current healthcare costs are unrealistic and too high due to the administrative costs and the active involvement of private insurance companies. Currently, the healthcare system is in crisis in terms of health quality and costs of care due to the limited financial opportunities of vulnerable populations to obtain insurance and receive qualitative and timely care. Thus, the affected parties in the context of this problem are the citizens of the state of New York since their well-being, safety, and health are jeopardized. In addition, the actors within the healthcare decision-making sphere and political bodies are affected since they bear significant monetary losses associated with elevated morbidity, treatment, and mortality due to poor health in light of improper preventative care. Thus, the current ramifications of the issue of heightened costs and inaccessibility of health care for New Yorkers are manifested through high costs that lead to limited insurance rates for the population. According to Jackson (n. d.), over 1 million New Yorkers lack health insurance, and 45% of Americans have difficulty paying for their medical expenses (p. 2). If the issue remains unattended, more severe and tragic consequences will follow. Indeed, according to Scheinker et al. (2021), more preventable deaths will follow if New Yorkers do not obtain equal access to quality care without overpaying.

Idea for Addressing Solution

When seeking a solution to the identified problem of inequality and socio-economic disparity in access to healthcare in the state of New York, one might refer to the analysis of the insurance system that involves private insurance companies. According to the New York State Nurses Association (NYSNA) (2019), private insurance companies are beholden to shareholders seeking to maximize profits not patient care (p. 1). For that matter, high co-payment bills and deductibles impose a significant burden on patients while enriching private insurers (NYSNA, 2019). Thus, having identified the main barrier in the current system, which is the private insurance companies, which serve as a mediator between a patient and a health care provider, the proposed solution addresses the elimination of the mediator and establishment of a single-payer system of universal coverage. The reason why this solution needs legislative advocacy is that the procedure of instilling a single-payer requires a law that would regulate the responsibilities of the involved stakeholders at the state level. Nurses as advocates of patient care can actively support policies to impact the nursing practice positively and motivate other nurses to engage in the political process (Helbig, 2018, para. 18). Therefore, it is imperative to contact members of Congress or local government to promote the legislation because, in this manner, the solution is more likely to be enacted and contribute to the improvement of patients health and care experiences by entering political agenda.

The Issue

The most important piece of evidence supporting the idea is the anticipated improvement for the citizens of New York in terms of financial and health incentives. Indeed, according to NYSNA (2019), the proposed solution will benefit the state by reducing the number of New Yorkers without healthcare and removing financial barriers to accessing care; these improvements would save thousands of lives each year (p. 2). Indeed, in the whole USA, there are an average of 45,000 annual deaths as a result of a lack of health insurance, which might be prevented by means of the proposed legislative solution (Jackson, n. d., p. 1).

While Medicare was intended to be a single-payer system across the US states, it targets only vulnerable populations, leaving the burden on the patients not considered vulnerable. Thus, there are no similar legislations in other states; however, Bryant (2022) presents evidence that the Canadian single-payer Medicare system benefits the patients and healthcare workers at large.

Financial Incentives/Costs

The financial impact of the proposed legislative idea to advocate for the equality and accessibility of health care for all New York state citizens is the most significant implication apart from saved lives and improved well-being. Indeed, given the excessive administrative costs and avoidable overpricing of health care services due to the involvement of private insurance companies, the proposed solution will ease the financial burden on the patients. In particular, the implementation of the solution will yield significant savings for the state. According to Jackson (n. d.), New York Health will have net savings of $11.4 billion by eliminating insurance company profits, reducing administrative costs, and reducing prescription drug costs (p. 2). Moreover, long-term home care, the costs of which are assessed at $31 billion and formerly unpaid, will be replaced by paid home care services (Jackson, n. d.). The savings are projected to be used as funds for supporting a vulnerable population in New York. Indeed, evidence provided by NYSNA (2019) shows that over 90% of New York households would spend less on healthcare under the Act than they do now with savings of $1500 $3000 going back into New Yorkers pockets (p. 2). Thus, these numbers indicate that the implementation of the proposed idea will be beneficial in terms of savings and healthcare coverage funding for the state of New York in general and individual households in particular.

Christian Principles and Nursing Advocacy

Equity and unbiased attitudes are essential for the healthcare setting, which goes in accord with the core principles of a Christian worldview. The virtues of kindness, respect, and equal treatment lie in the foreground of Biblical teachings, which apply to the nursing field. The proposed legislative idea is based on the incentives of promoting equal access to healthcare, especially for those who suffer from inequalities and health disparities. Indeed, the diminished access to timely treatment and the lack of preventative care for those from low socio-economic backgrounds, immigrants, ethnic minorities, and other vulnerable groups are exposed to higher risks in the current system. However, Bible teaches that God does not show favoritism and treats all equally (Romans 2:11). Moreover, one of the verses from the Bible indicates that rich and poor have this in common: the Lord is the Maker of them all (Proverbs 22:2). In the context of the Christian worldview, health is considered as an ultimate value, which is illustrated by the following quote: I pray that you may enjoy good health and that all may go well with you, even as your soul is getting along well (John 1:2). Thus, the proposed legislative idea is based on the Christian principles of promoting equality and advocates for the opportunity for each New Yorker to enjoy a healthy life.

References

Bryant, D. C. (2022). Single-payer health care: Financial implications for a physician. International Journal of Health Services, 52(3), 410-416.

Helbig, J. (2018). Influencing health care through advocacy. In Trends in health care: A nursing perspective, Grand Canyon University. Web.

Jackson, R. (n. d.). What is the New York Health Act? Web.

Liu, J., White, C., Nowak, S., Wilks, A., Ryan, J., & Eibner, C. (2018). An assessment of the New York Health Act: a single-payer option for New York State. RAND. Web.

New York State Nurses Association. (2019). An act to amend the public health law and the state finance law, in relation to enacting the New York Health Act and to establish the New York Health Plan. Web.

Scheinker, D., Richman, B. D., Milstein, A., & Schulman, K. A. (2021). Reducing administrative costs in US health care: Assessing single payer and its alternatives. Health Services Research, 56(4), 615-625.

Click Here To Order Now!

Nursing Advocacy Through Legislation

Do you need this or any other assignment done for you from scratch?

We have qualified writers to help you.

We assure you a quality paper that is 100% free from plagiarism and AI.

You can choose either format of your choice ( Apa, Mla, Havard, Chicago, or any other)