You should begin working on the Stand-Alone Project early in the course. Each assignment provides a benchmark for completing the Stand-Alone Project in a timely manner while working through the course. You will find this information in the "Stand-Alone Project Benchmark" section of each assignment.

Scenario: This "hands-on" real world project requires you to assume the newly created position of State Director of Health Planning for your state (i.e. where you now live). As such, you report directly to the Governor regarding health policy issues. The information provided below will assist you.

The Governor hired you because of your unique combination of real-world and academic health expertise. You have worked in both the public and private sectors, and you understand the complex interrelationships that typify the U. S. health care system. It is widely believed that you will give the Governor the technical expertise to succeed where others have failed.

The Governor has been and is under tremendous pressure from various special interest groups. Advocates for the working poor want more comprehensive coverage. Leaders in his party are crying out for relief from rising costs of Medicaid. Patients' rights groups, as well as some physicians, are complaining about "cookbook medicine" harming patients. The Governor is looking to you to help him clarify the alternatives in three (3) key areas - access, cost, and quality - and then incorporate your recommendations into a speech to a joint legislative session that will convene to hear his strategic policy initiatives for the next four (4) years.

Your Stand-Alone Project responses should be both grammatically and mechanically correct and formatted in the same fashion as the project itself. If there is a Part A, your response should identify a Part A, etc. In addition, you must appropriately cite all resources used in your response and document them in a bibliography using APA style. (300 points) (A 20-page,double-spaced, response is required.)

Part A - Analyze access to health care in your state, using the three (3) areas listed below. Then write a report, including recommendations to the Governor. Make sure that you support your recommendations with credible sources and facts. Cite all sources using APA style. (225 points)

 1. Uninsured: First, investigate the status of care for the uninsured in your state, using publicly available data as well as interviews with state health officials and members of advocacy groups such as unions, welfare departments, and poverty programs. Analyze what your state government is currently doing to insure high quality care for these and other individuals and write recommendations for a future course of action. Consider the following issues in your analysis. (75 points)

a. Who are the uninsured?

b. What is the state doing to help the uninsured?

c. What can the state do to improve care for the uninsured?

2. Quality: Consider the following when addressing the quality of care. (75 points)

a. Examine benchmark states, such as Hawaii, Oregon, and Minnesota, to determine what might be done in your locality.

b. Consider whether these states are comparable to your state in terms of population size and diversity.

c. Think of recommendations you might make to cover the most deserving individuals at the least cost. Also, examine accreditation and regulatory bodies that cover health professionals and facilities. Write recommendations for what your state should do based on the best practices in other states.

3. Medicaid: This may entail contacting various state officials, as well as your state Medicaid agency. Using available data, determine how effective and costly your state's Medicaid system is versus others around the nation and suggest governmental actions to reduce cost and improve effectiveness. Once again, you should use publicly available data, as well as information from Medicaid and other state agencies. Consider the following. (75 points)

 a. Who is receiving Medicaid care?

 b. What is the quality of care they are receiving?

 c. Can the plans of dissimilar states be adapted for use in your state? If not, why not? And what would you recommend instead?

Part B - From your report, draft a 15-20-minute speech (about five pages) for the Governor to deliver to the legislature. Emphasize only the key points that pertain to health care in your state. Consider the following when developing your speech.

1. The speech should be clear concerning where it is coming from (i.e., Why are we addressing theses issues?) and where it is going (i.e., What are we going to do about the problems/opportunities?). In other words, there must be a purpose and direction to the speech tying it to a broader vision of how health care should be financed and delivered in the state.

2. Documentation: The speech should provide documentation supporting positions the student advocates. For instance, if you propose Medicaid HMOs, then the response should discuss where they have been tried and succeeded.

3. Call to Action: The speech should be interesting and clear enough to form the basis for new policy initiatives. For example, the facts presented must be strong enough to convince the public and the legislature that action must be taken and that the potential benefit outweighs the political risks.