Question

Discuss health care interest groups and their concerns. Support your discussion with references and real-life examples.

Answer 1

Interest groups in case of health care would be Insurance providers, Employers of organization, suppliers, consumers of heath facility, local government, health professionals etc. Interest groups are the groups that deal with the same concern and they impact the government rules by showing similar concern on a particular. The following roles should healthcare interest groups have and setting healthcare policy at the local and national levels:

1. They educate the people regarding the health care policies and rules by the help of rallies, skits, campaigning etc. Their aim is to show the positive and the negatives to the people by in this way. They create awareness among people.

2. Their role is in Social interest like pre-paid services providers or fee for service.

3. These groups provide the insurance accessibility to the public.

4. They can act as the fund provider.

5. They worked for the health care reforms.

Healthcare interest groups and their concerns:

Demands of specific interest groups have influenced healthcare outcomes in the United States. However, result of a single group remains optimal. An organized interest group remains as effective demanders of policies.

1. Federal and state government—cost containment, quality and access to care
2. Employers—cost containment, administrative simplification, elimination of cost shifting
3. Consumers—access to care, quality of care, lower out-of-pocket costs
4. Insurers—administrative simplification, elimination of cost shifting
5. Practitioners/Providers—income maintenance, professional autonomy, malpractice reform

Health care interest groups real-life examples:

Different interest groups identify the lawmakers and keep financing in the form of donations for the sake of elections and other cause. It creates a link for the interest groups to interact with the lawmaker and put their views. These views are considerably added into the broader health care policy. Once the policy is implemented, it starts serving the purpose of the interest groups and interest groups get benefits. Hence, the financing of interest groups helps in bending the policy guidelines in their favor of interest groups.Cost of health care is very high in the USA. It is not possible without the excess influence of healthcare groups in policy planning. Interest groups created by insurance companies, pharmaceutical industries have strong linkage with the law makers that help these interest groups to make the policy that suits the industry, rather people.

Reference:

Alford R. Health care politics: Ideological and interest group barriers to reform. Chicago, IL: University of Chicago Press; 1975.

Berry JM. The interest group society. 3. New York, NY: Longman; 1997.

Steinbrook R. Election 2008 -- campaign contributions, lobbying, and the U.S. health sector. N Engl J Med 2007;357:736-739.