Assignment: Health Care Policy

Policies are constantly being reviewed and considered to help improve the federal, state, or local health care systems. Each one has the potential to affect each of us on a daily basis, so careful consideration must be given when policies are proposed. It is important to understand the process of how a topic eventually becomes a policy.

Choose a health care topic for which a policy might be formed.

*Note: be sure to look ahead and choose a policy topic that will be suitable for the second part of this assignment as well, due in Week Four.

Write a 1,050- to 1,400-word paper on the complete process of how your chosen topic becomes a policy. In your paper, include the following information:

· State the objective of the policy.
· Define Formulation stage:
· Explain the process to formulate your policy and the involvement of stakeholders.
· Define Legislative stage:
· Explain the legislative body's approval process needed to gain support (ie funding) for the policy and how stakeholders influence legislators' decisions.
· Define Implementation stage:
· Identify the accountable parties and their roles in the various implementation stages of your policy.

Cite a minimum of five references.

Format your paper consistent with APA guidelines.