Essay NUR 550 Topic 7 Discussion Question 2 Answer NUR 550 Topic 7 DQ 2 Select an effective current health policy that focuses on or affects population health. What components of this policy make it effective? Conduct research on its history and the facto

Essay NUR 550 Topic 7 Discussion Question 2 Answer NUR 550 Topic 7 DQ 2 Select an effective current health policy that focuses on or affects population health. What components of this policy make it effective? Conduct research on its history and the factors that influenced its development. In March 2010, President Barak Obama sanctioned the Affordable Care Act (ACA), a somewhat modified version of the all-inclusive coverage imagined by presidents since the early 1900s. The act requires most U.S. citizens to apply for health insurance coverage, levying a penalty for individuals who fail to secure insurance but making exceptions for a few protected groups. Under the law, enterprises that employ more than 200 workers must provide health insurance coverage. The act also established the American Health Benefits Exchange, where citizens can review and compare insurance plans (H, n.d.). The ACA also expanded public health and prevention programs to support communities and individuals. This law also establishes a National Prevention and Public Health Council to provide coordination across all federal agencies and government programs concerned with public health, health education and disease prevention services. The emphasis on public health in this legislation signals a significant federal commitment to support the work of health departments and public health professionals throughout the United States (Nurse Source, n.d.). Changes in healthcare have occurred that directly impact a patient’s ability to receive healthcare and preventative care. New healthcare delivery models have emerged in the hopes of providing quality care at the greatest value to the patient (McNiff, 2018). The advent of these new care models that focus on preventive measures and health promotion across the continuum has brought about the emergence of new roles for nurses (Salmond & Echevarria, 2017). These new positions include: care coordinator, patient navigator, health coaches, virtual care nurses, bundled care coordinators, and nurse-managed care centers. All of these roles are necessary as patient care becomes more complex and extends beyond the acute care hospital. Nurse managed health centers are run by nurse practitioners, nurse midwives, and public health nurses. Within these centers, nurses must be able to function to the full extent of licensure and training (Turner, 2018). With nurses coordinating the care of patients along their health continuum, as patient care is transitioning away from acute hospital settings and into the communities, the patient is better assured of receiving the best evidence-based care resulting in optimal patient outcomes. The Hospital Readmissions Reduction Program (HRRP), an Affordable Care Act initiative, requires the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to reduce payouts to care facilities that experience excessive patient readmissions. The program launched in late 2012 and defines readmissions as a repeat in a patient admission to a participating CMS hospital in a 30-day period. Exceptions are allowed for specific conditions, such as heart failure and pneumonia, as well as factors such as poor health and multiple illnesses (CMS.gov, 2020). While the ACA is not without flaws, the change in the delivery of healthcare has expanded greatly. The programs now in place through CMS and HHS have resulted in better access and quality in patient care with plenty of room to grow