POLITICS BEHIND HOME HEALTH CARE CHANGES IN THE
The proposed policy analysis will examine the various political sources involved in the home health care industry in relation to accommodating the consequences, implications, and stipulations mandated by the Balanced Budget Act of 1997. Specifically, the analysis will examine who supports these changes and who opposes them. Also, an examination will be made of the various interest groups involved on each side of the issue.
So that the issue may be fully understood, it is important to examine legislation, agencies and people currently defining the issue. Examination indicates that current conceptualizations of the issue are associated with:
(1) The actual stipulations, mandates, consequences, and implications associated with he Balanced Budget Act of 1977.
(2) Diverse politicians of both political parties who, in many of their discourses on the Balanced Budget Act as it relates to changes in the home health care industry are also motivated by a political agenda (Rodat & Zadoorian, 1996).
(3) Home health care administrators whose basic goal is to provide quality service in a manner that yields profit.
(4) Geriatric health care providers such as physicians or nurses whose practice includes mostly older and aged patients;
(5) Insurance companies whose primary goal is to provide coverage for areas not covered by medicare and to do so in a manner that ensures profit (MAGA, Limited, 1998); and
(6) Senior citizens groups whose basic objective is to make sure that older people are provided with all the services they need and not left out of consideration on the basis of age or any other consideration (Pathfinders For Seniors, 1998).
Regarding the current status of the home health care industry, several policy changes have been effected as the result of the Balanced Budget Act. For example, Soundappan, Goodwin, Greengold and Siegler (1997) report that many...