The Effects and Implications of Legislation on Health Care Reform

Although the health care network in the United States is heavily privatized and reforms have historically been in response to changes in demand and the need for greater efficiencies in the delivery of medical services, federal and state laws also exert a significant influence on health care reform. The purpose of this paper is to provide a review of the literature concerning the role of legislation in health care reform and its effect on health care costs. In addition, an analysis concerning how doctors of nursing practice-prepared leaders can develop strategies to advocate for just and ethical practices in healthcare policy and healthcare delivery systems. Finally, the paper provides a summary of the findings that emerged from the research in the conclusion.

The Role and Effect of Legislation in Health Care Reform

The health care system in the United States has historically been profit-driven, and the private sectors responses to new pressures for innovation, delivering new services and developing cost-effective efficiencies have invariably been influenced by the invisible hand. These types of responses can be discerned, for example, in the manner in which tertiary health care facilities introduce new medical devices and interventions as research progresses. Nevertheless, it is clear that federal and state laws also have a profound influence on health care and any efforts to reform the manner in which it is delivered. Indeed, Forest and Stoltz (2022) emphasize that legislation is a tool of public action in health policy (p. 1). In some cases, legislation that is designed to implement beneficial reforms involves improvement in the information that is available to health care consumers and practitioners thereby making medical care more efficient (Cutler et al., 2019).

In other case, though, legislative reforms are more broad-based. For example, perhaps the most visible and influential legislation that has introduced reforms in the nations health care network is the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA). For instance, according to Gable (2011), The ACA set in motion a wide range of programs that substantially affected the health system in the United States and signifies a moderate but important regulatory shift in the role of the federal government in public health (p. 340). This regulatory shift reflects the public sectors legislative responses to increased demand for health care services, the recognition that more cost-effective strategies are required and the nations increasingly diverse and rapidly aging population.

While some of the provisions of the ACA address health care insurance and financing and therefore the costs of health care for American consumers, the legislation also establishes a number of initiatives that are intended to improve public health in general. As a result, Gable (2011) concludes that, The ACA has the potential to produce extensive public health benefits across the United States population by improving...…mandated by the American Association of Nurse Practitioners. In this regard, the standards specifically stipulate, in part, that, In addition to their clinical role, NPs may provide a wide range of health care services, including health promotion; disease prevention; health education; and counseling to individuals, families, groups and communities (Standards of Practice for Nurse Practitioners, 2023, para. 2). In addition, DNP-prepared leaders can also mobilize organizational and community resources to effect meaningful reforms at the local level (Hoyle & Johnson, 2015).

Conclusion

The research showed that the profit-driven nature of the American health care system has led to the need for legislative reforms, such as the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA which has helped improve access to healthcare services and reduce costs. The ACA has also introduced preventive care strategies, such as hospital incentives to reduce infections and readmissions, as well as nutrition labeling requirements. The research also showed that DNP-prepared leaders can serve as advocates for healthcare reform by educating the public and lawmakers about the need for reforms, mobilizing community resources, and serving as transformational leaders. The American Association of Nurse Practitioners mandates that NPs provide health promotion, disease prevention, health education, and counseling to individuals, families, groups, and communities, in addition to their clinical role. In sum, DNP-prepared leaders have the expertise and training that is needed to help improve the nations health care network, but they also have a professional…