Advocating for Buy-In to Medicare for People 50 and Older

* Health care Policy
---Advocating for a policy proposal------
**** In the page after the end of your op-ed, you must include (1) bibliography (you can use any format, but JAMA or APA is commonly used in the public health context); and (2) screenshots of the first page of all articles, reports, webpages, or any other sources that you cited or referenced in your op-ed. If it is a peer-reviewed article, you must use a non-gated full text version (so that I know you actually read it, and did not just rely on an abstract).
INSTRUCTION :
Review the Medicare slides and readings.
Choose a stakeholder group from the list provided below and go to their website to learn a little more about what they do.
Then, look over the slides that describe several current policy proposals to the reform Medicare. There are four reform ideas that you can work with: (1) Medicare-for-all, (2) “Buy-in” to Medicare for those 50 and older, (3) raising the age for Medicare benefits, and (4) increasing Medicare premiums.
Write a 750-word (max) op-ed from the stakeholder group of your choice advocating for or against one of these policy proposals.
Use a word document format (PDF or Pages will NOT be accepted). Use a 12 point Arial font, 1.15 line spaced (just like this document), a normal margin. Must include a word count at the end.
In your op-ed, be sure to:
1. Clearly and accurately identify the policy problem (2 points)
2. Describe the policy proposal, including how it would be implemented (2 points)
3. State your position, which should be in line with the stakeholder group of your choice. (3 points)
4. Summarize relevant evidence for your position (do research) (3 points)
5. Use 2 main arguments in support of your position. These arguments should be framed in light of your stakeholder’s constituency. However, also think about what would make the op-ed more persuasive for the audience (2 points * 2 arguments)
6. Conclude with a forceful statement that reiterates your position and calls on the appropriate legislative body or agency to adopt your position. (1 point)
7. Add a line after the end of your op-ed, in italics, that reads “YOUR NAME is a senior policy analyst for the STAKEHOLDER GROUP”.
Stakeholder groups:
• American Association of Retired Persons (AARP)
• Nursing homes (trade association is the American Health Care Association [ACHA])
• American Hospital Association (represents hospitals)
• Pharmaceutical Industry (choose a company like Novartis, Merck, Pfizer, Johnson & Johnson or others)
• American Geriatric Society (organization represents health care professions in geriatric care)
• American Health Insurance Plans (organization that represents health insurers [AHIP])
• Or another group of your choice
Do NOT use ChatGPT or any other AI/third-party assistance to write this paper. You will fail this assignment and be referred to the disciplinary committee.
In the page after the end of your op-ed, you must include (1) bibliography (you can use any format, but JAMA or APA is commonly used in the public health context); and (2) screenshots of the first page of all articles, reports, webpages, or any other sources that you cited or referenced in your op-ed. If it is a peer-reviewed article, you must use a non-gated full text version (so that I know you actually read it, and did not just rely on an abstract).
If you do NOT include these two, you will immediately lose 3 points (for not including proper evidence supporting your position).
Make sure to avoid plagiarism by properly citing your source.
• Quotes should be reserved for quotations from an important entity or person or if you cannot put data in your own words.
• Do not cut and paste without quotation marks.
• Significantly better than cutting and pasting with quotation marks is putting the concept into your own words.
• Using your own words does NOT mean changing one or two words in an otherwise cut/pasted text! It means understanding the concept and writing it yourself.
Turnitin is enabled for this assignment. I do not use the Turnitin score but I will check, using the report, if you properly cited your source.
Be sure to edit and proofread your work. Points will be deducted for spelling errors and poor grammar.
OPTIONAL HELP FOR WRITING AN OP-ED
For assistance in writing an op-ed, please refer to the following resources:
https://projects(dot)iq(dot)harvard(dot)edu/files/hks-communications-program/files/new_seglin_how_to_write_an_oped_1_25_17_7.pdf
https://www(dot)nytimes(dot)com/2017/08/25/opinion/tips-for-aspiring-op-ed-writers.html
You should feel free to rely on the materials required for class, but you may want to supplement your knowledge of these proposals by doing outside research.
Just to give you an idea of an op-ed, sample op-eds of two opposing positions on the same policy proposal (here, Medicare for all) can be found below (I am NOT endorsing these two op-eds, this is just to serve as examples):3
https://www(dot)yorkdispatch(dot)com/story/opinion/contributors/2020/05/10/op-ed-why-we-need-medicare-all/3105344001/
https://www(dot)nytimes(dot)com/2020/03/09/opinion/medicare-for-all-cost.html