The Political Role of Veterans Healthcare - Term Paper Example

?Running Head: VETERANS HEALTHCARE The Political Role of Veterans Healthcare Introduction The Health Care Industry of the United s of America isgenerally composed of different legal entities. The facilities that make up the said industry are largely owned and operate by the members of the private sector whereas health care insurance have always been provided by the government. The efficiency of the American health care system, however, has always been doubted (Sultz & Young, 2010). Various calls for health care reforms have been made in view of the allegations that the health care industry is nothing but a money making scam where large insurance firms and health institutions participate in (Sultz & Young, 2010). The following problems are usually apparent with respect to the health care industry of the United States: (1) medical bankruptcy, (2) premature deaths among those who are un- and under-insured, and lastly, (3) the wasteful flows of funds that maximize the profits of insurance companies (Mahar, 2006). Longman (2010), the author of the book entitled “Best care anywhere: why VA health care is better than yours” cited the reforms taken in the Veterans Health Care Industry. Longman (2010) argues that the reforms in the entire American Health Care Industry must emulate the model in the Veterans Health Care Administration in view of the capacity of the latter to significantly improve and properly cater to the medical needs of the veterans. Aside from Longman (2010), there are other scholars who have also focused on the comparison between Veterans Health Administration and other systems of care in the country. In sum, all of these studies have pointed out that the Veterans Health Administration delivers health care more efficiently as compared with the other health care systems in the United States of America (Kerr, et al., 2003; Petersen, et al., 2003; Rosenthal, et al., 2003). In this sense, these authors have highlighted the need for the health care policy makers in the United States of America to reform the other systems of health care in the country by focusing on the improvements to the Veterans Health Administration as a Model. On the other hand, however, this study focuses on the current issues that affect the Veterans Health Care Industry. Arguably, the policies concerning the Veterans Health Administration have likewise been significantly affected by the political processes concerning them. In this sense, this paper focuses on the following issues: (1) the role of political process on health care delivery, (2) the role of the demanders and suppliers of health policies, (3) how the political process affect cost of health care, human resources and various health care facilities, (4) the involvement of various levels of government in the political process and its effects on health care delivery, (5) involvement of interests groups and organizations in addressing the issues to sway modifications to policy/formation of policy, (6) strategies and recommendations and lastly, (7) the future of initiatives in health care delivery. The Role of the Political Process on Health Care Delivery Before going through the analysis of the different issues that currently affect the Veterans Health Administration, this section first focuses on the role of the different political processes on health care delivery. As a general rule, it was claimed that investments in health care are often employed for various political reasons rather than focusing on its benefits for the citizens. Evidently, health reform in various parts of the world, whether in developed or developing countries, is a highly political process (Benoit, 2003). In fact, other researchers even highlight the tendency for politicians to put healthcare reform at the center of their campaigns during electoral seasons. Apparently, health care reforms, as essential part of the political processes most especially with respect to campaigns focus on the following (1) the efforts as regards building better health care facilities and (2) providing the citizens with affordable drugs. At times, the politicians also promise that they would cater to the failure of the health care industry to cater to the needs of the citizens by promising the effective regulation thereof or the efficient allocation of resources thereto. The Veterans Healthcare Administration is the aspect of the American health care system that is greatly affected by political processes in the said country. In fact, the issue with respect to the reforms in the Veterans Healthcare Administration has been at the core of the 2009 Presidential Campaign whereby Obama and McCain competed for the highest position in the country (Glantz, 2008). In his campaign, McCain sought to privatize the Veterans health care system to allow the latter to gain access to the other aspects of the system. On the other hand, Obama was concerned with respect to continuance of the socialized system of medicine for the benefit of the Veterans (“Obama drops controversial health care plan for wounded veterans, 2009”). In fact, when President Obama was elected to office, one of the major steps that he has undertaken with respect to Veterans healthcare reform was incorporating the use of electronic medical records in order to consolidate information pertaining to Veterans to render a more efficient service (Benoit, 2003; Glantz, 2008). The Role of the Demanders and Suppliers of Health Policies Aside from the political processes, health care in the United States are also significantly affected by the role of the demanders and suppliers of health policies. Generally, health policies are affected by two intrinsic factors: (1) the demanders and (2) the suppliers (Hollingsworth, 2008). The demanders are usually composed of the following: the individuals, the organizations and various interest groups (Hollingsworth, 2008; Richardson, 2001). These demanders are usually groups that are considered of paramount importance to the promulgation of health policies in view of the fact that they are often used as a means by which the citizens could express their opinions as regards their needs pertaining to the delivery of health care. Suppliers, on the other hand, compose of the members of the executive, legislative and judicial branch of the government which come up with different policies as regards health care. Some of the most important demanders that significantly influence the policies pertaining to Veteran Health Care Administration are the different veterans’ service organizations. Generally, these Veterans’ service organizations play an important role with respect to the allocation of money to the medical budget given to the Veterans Health Care Administration. Veterans’ service organizations significantly affect the money allocated for the medical budget of the veterans (Oliver, 2007). Generally, these service organizations accomplish this through their publication of the “Independent Budget” whereby they inform the members of the Congress the budget that the Veterans Health Care Administration needs (Oliver, 2007). The suppliers, on the other hand, are the members of the Congress who belong to the Democratic Party. Unlike the Republicans who are in favor of dismantling the Veterans Health Care Administration, the Democrats are in favor of keeping the system for the benefit of its clientele (Oliver, 2007). How the Political Process Affects Cost of Health Care, Human Resources and Various Health Care Facilities In accordance with what has been mentioned earlier, it was also emphasized that the political process also significantly affects the cost of health care, the human resources hired in the medical institutions and the development of health care facilities in relation to this. As mentioned, politicians have long recognized the importance of reforming the health care industries in order to guarantee the support of their constituents. In this sense, the health care reforms initiated by politicians usually focus on the reduction in health care costs, employment of skilled human resources and the development of modern health care facilities. The effects of the political processes on these three factors were also evident in the case of the United States’ Veterans Health Care Administration (Oliver, 2007). Mayo (2006) looked into the common reasons behind the success of the Veterans Health Care Administration. The author looks into the reforms integrated into the Veterans Health Care Administration that has rendered it the most the effective aspect of the health care system in the United States of America (Mayo, 2006). According to Mayo (2006), the political support obtained by the leaders of the Veteran Health Care Administration has resulted to the following: (1) the effective reduction of the costs of health care received by the veterans, (2) the employment of only the skilled and efficient health care professionals, and finally, (3) the development of the facilities therein such as the promotion of electronic records to render efficient service to the veterans. Undeniably, the commitment of politicians to health care reform can bring about the aforementioned thereby making the system more effective. Aside from Mayo (2006), Oliver (2007) also concurred with the ability of political support to achieve the following. Verily, political support has the ability to bring down the costs of health care, secure the employment of the best health care professionals and finally, to incorporate advancements in technology to ensure the betterment of the service that they provide to their clients. The illustrations earlier presented emphasize that indeed proper political support ensures the delivery of efficient healthcare services through the following: (1) a significant reduction in terms of the costs of health care, (2) the employment of the best health care professionals, and finally, (3) the modernization of the health care facilities. Involvement of Various Levels of the Government in the Political Process and Effects on Health Care Delivery This section of the paper then focuses on the discussion of the partnership between the local and federal governments as one of the necessary factors contributing to the efficiency of the health care system. Authors have long recognized that the efficient delivery of health care to the constituents entails the support of the different levels of the government (Mayo, 2006; Oliver, 2007). According to various scholars who have looked into the said subject matter the cooperation amongst all members of the government is of paramount importance to ensure the efficient delivery of health care. In fact, the support given by the local government to the federal government is deemed an ethical responsibility on the part of the former. Also, the local government carries out the policy of the federal government with respect to the delivery of health care to the patients (Altman & Morgan, 2011). On the other hand, it is the primary task of the federal government to ensure that policies in relation to health care are delivered uniformly in every local government within their jurisdiction. In the case of the Veterans Health Care Administration, the federal government ensures that all Veteran hospitals situated in various states deliver the same types of services to their clients (Altman & Morgan, 2011). On the other hand, the local governments play an important role with respect to the implementation of the policies promulgated by the federal government in relation thereto. Usually, local governments wherein hospitals for Veterans are established also come up with policies that ensure the proper delivery of services for the benefit of the latter (Department of Veteran Affairs, 2011). Without a doubt, the proper delivery of health care services to the veterans entails the development of a good partnership between the federal and local governments of the country (Altman & Morgan, 2011). Involvement of Interests Groups and Organizations in addressing the Issues to Sway Modifications to Policy/Formation of the Policy Aside from the development of an effective partnership between the local and federal governments with respect to the proper delivery of health care services, the involvement of interests groups and organizations in addressing the issues is also deemed important to sway policy formation or modifications thereto. Undeniably, the delivery of health care services is an important subject that is tried in the courts of public opinion (Oliver, 2007). Verily, being an essential part of the campaign of politicians, most of the policy makers tend to focus on the opinions of the interests groups and organizations in drafting pertinent policies. In the case of the Veterans Health Administration, policies related thereto are largely affected by the opinions of the Veterans’ Service Organizations (Congress of the United States, 2005). As earlier mentioned, the Veterans’ Service Organizations, being the primary beneficiaries of health care, play an important role in terms of influencing the allocation of money for the rendition of services in relation thereto. Aside from this, the Veterans’ Service Organizations play an important role in terms of calling for the reform of the health care facilities such as the use of the electronic records to ensure the delivery of efficient services to the veterans (Oliver, 2007). Aside from this, the Veterans Health Care Administration also gives paramount importance to the perceptions of the veterans, obtained through surveys, with respect to their satisfaction with the benefits pertaining to health, education, training, counseling, financial, burial, etc. Verily, results obtained from these surveys are used by the members of the Veterans Health Administration in order to improve their services thereby making it more appropriate to the needs of the veterans (Mayo, 2006). Strategies and Recommendations The Department of Veteran Affairs (2011) recognizes that the Veterans Healthcare Administration has achieved so much in terms of providing services to the veterans. However, much has yet to be done in order to ensure their effectiveness. For instance, the Department of Veteran Affairs (2011) emphasizes on the continuous improvement of electronic records so as to positively affect the value that they provide the veterans and their families. They also deem this of paramount importance in terms of administering the care and other health services that they veterans need (Department of Veteran Affairs, 2011). Furthermore, the use of these electronic records would also enable the department to properly respond to the other needs of the veterans, not merely confining them to their health care needs. Having established the aforementioned, the next section of this paper then focuses on the future of initiatives in health care delivery (Moya, 2006). The Future of Initiatives in Health Care Delivery Notwithstanding the success of the Veterans Health Administration, various strategies and recommendations have been made with respect to the future development thereof. For instance, a number of scholars and policy makers who have analyzed the Veterans Health Administration deem it important to continuously develop the services they render to the veterans. According to a report, the Veterans Health Administration deems it of paramount importance to continuously innovate to provide the veterans with a cutting-edge care and services (Department of Veteran Affairs, 2011). In addition thereto, other scholars have also acknowledged the need to focus on the other issues that the veterans in the country experience such as homelessness (Department of Veteran Affairs, 2011). Furthermore, other scholars also recognize the importance of giving veterans access to other types of health institutions rather than merely confining them to those which have been specifically established for the veterans (Department of Veteran Affairs, 2011). Conclusion The discussions previously mentioned, showed that the health care system of the United States of America is largely affected by political processes. In fact, the campaigns of the electoral candidates tend to focus on the issue of health reform, most especially with respect to the issue of the reduction of the costs of health care, the employment of skilled and efficient health care professionals, and finally, the modernization of facilities. In the case of the Veterans Health Care Administration, policy processes effectively affect the manner by which services are provided to the veterans. Apparently, the incorporation of the Veterans Health Care Administration into the subject of socialized medicine has greatly affected its efficiency, making it more effective as compared to the other aspects of the health care system. The Veterans Health Care has received tremendous support from political actors in the United States. The various interest groups such as the Veterans’ Service Organizations have likewise played an important role with respect to the modifications of policies in relation to the delivery of health care services for the veterans. Finally, the opinions of the veterans themselves, as obtained through customer satisfaction surveys are also used with respect to the promulgation of policies. References Altman, D.E. and Morgan, D.H. (2011). The role of state and local government in health. Health Affairs. Benoit, C. (2003). The politics of health care policy: the United States in comparative perspective. Perspectives in Biology and Medicine, 46(4), 592-599. Brown, L.D. (2009). Politics and health care organizations. US: Brookings Institution Press. Congress of the United States. (2007). The potential cost of meeting demand for veterans’ health care. US: Congress of the United States. Department of Veterans Affairs. (2011). VA: Strategic Plan: 2010-2014. US: Department of Veterans Affairs. Glantz, A. (2008). McCain’s plan to private veterans’ health care. Retrieved on September 23, 2011 from http://ipsnews.net/news.asp?idnews=43626. Hollingsworth, B. (2008). The measurement of efficiency and productivity of health care delivery. Health Economics, 17(10), 1107-1128. Kerr, E.A., et al. 2004. Diabetes care quality in the Veterans Affairs health care system and commercial managed care. Annals of Internal Medicine, 141(4), 272-281. Longman, P. (2010). Best care anywhere: Why VA health care is better than yours. Berrett-Koehler Publishers. Mahar, M. (2006). Money driven medicine: the real reason health care costs so much. US: Collins. Mayo, R. (2006). Veteran’s health administration: best value in health care. “Obama drops controversial health care plan for wounded veterans.” (2009). Retrieved on September 21, 2011 from http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2009/03/18/obama-drops-controversial-health-care-plan-wounded-veterans/. Oliver, A. (2007). The Veterans Health Administration: An American success story? The Milbank Quarterly, 85(1), 5-35. Petersen, L.A., et al. (2003). Regionalization and the underuse of angiography in the Veterans Affairs Health Care System as compared with a fee-for-service system. New England Journal of Medicine, 348(22), 2209-2217. Richardson, J. (2001). Supply and demand for medical care: or is the health care market perverse? Retrieved on September 23, 2011 from http://www.buseco.monash.edu.au/centres/che/pubs/wp123.pdf Rosenthal, G.E., et al. (2003). In-hospital mortality following coronary artery bypass graft surgery in Veterans Health Administration and Private Sector Hospitals. Medical Care, 41(4), 522-535. Sultz, H.A. and Young, M. (2010). Health Care USA. US: Jones & Bartlett Learning. Read More