Phases of Policy Making, Stakeholders Involved, and the Issues Present

The History and Process of Health Policymaking in the US.
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The History and Process of Health Policymaking in the US.
Introduction
Health and its pursuits remain a critical component of the US. Health is important, not only for wellbeing but also for the country's economy. The government continues to invest more into healthcare. Because of the enormous investment, the government remains concerned about health and its pursuit. While the US government's role is substantial, a majority of the resources in the healthcare sector are under the control of the private sector (De Wolf & Toebes, 2016). The federal government engages in healthcare through funding and public policy. Policymaking in the US entails making choices with special status within the particular group they apply to. Policymakers determine the rules and regulations that govern health. Healthcare policy is critical because it establishes guidelines that benefit patients and the healthcare systems. It provides standardization in practice. Providers have clarity when dealing with essential issues in health and safety requirements. Policy in healthcare is needed to set a general plan of action that guides the desired outcomes. Healthcare facilities rely on policy to set the foundation for delivering safe and quality care to their clients. This paper will discuss the creation process of healthcare policy, the stakeholders involved, and the issues at each phase.
Phases of policymaking
a) Policy formulation
Policy formulation is the first stage of the process. The phase seeks to make new public health laws or change the existing ones. Not all problems that get the attention of the policymakers lead to the development of legislation. The process starts by setting the agenda for the development of the bill (Lemke & Harris-Wai, 2015). Generally, various healthcare problems exist at any given moment. Different problem–solution combinations influence diverse political circumstances. In agenda setting, various problem–solution combinations are proposed to address health problems (Longest, 1994). The set agenda primarily drive the subsequent development of the legislation. Once the issue raised reaches an actionable place, it leads to the development of legislation. Not all problems manage to get to this point. A policy analysis helps in identifying the most efficient and feasible options. The analysis demonstrates how the policy will impact morbidity and mortality rates and the costs involved in implementing it. A strategy for getting the policy adopted is formulated. Policymakers also identify how the policy will operate. At the same time, a plan for engaging stakeholders and policy actors is formulated.
The policy formulation phase involves different stakeholders. Firstly, model system researchers are needed to help legislators identify the policy's possible effects (Hanney et al., 2003). The researchers can identify possible negative implications of the health policy and advice on corrective measures. Further, model system researchers can engage policymakers to ensure that current science supports the policy. Secondly, policymakers can engage individuals or groups with vested interests. For inst...