The policy making process is not free from politics (far from it). That is, certain groups and individuals from the public and private sectors may exert an influence on the type of legislation that emerges from the policy making process. While healthcare policy does not in itself represent the best interests of any one entity, the ultimate goal of healthcare policy should be to enhance quality, increase access, and reduce costs. Consider for example, while the implementation of the PPACA may have opened up previously inaccessible healthcare services, the new mandate also requires employers and healthcare providers to become even more cost conscious given the downward pressure on reimbursement rates and employer coverage requirements. While the mandate opened up channels for consumers of health to obtain access, it similarly inhibited certain providers to maximize the services such access could provide.

1. Explain how employers and healthcare providers influence healthcare expenditures and the impact on population health.
2. Explain how the government influences healthcare expenditures and the impact on population health.

Sample Solution

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