Question 1:
Assigned Reading: Chapter 1 – Introduction, pp. 1 – 18. And Chapter 2, Where
Are We?, pp. 19-55.
Assignment Question: Table 1-1 (page 3) specifies the knowledge and skills called for in a policy analyst. Which of these areas do you currently feel prepared for and in which ones do you want to gain competence? Why?
Question 2:
Assigned Reading: Case 3-1 International Comparisons: Where Else Might
We Have Gone? – pp. 79-89.
Assignment Questions: Table 2-1 (page 23) offers some comparative statistics on the health systems of developed
countries? How would you interpret these? What other comparative statistics would you like to see? If you were a newly appointed Health Czar for the U.S., what would you like to see on your office “dashboard”?
Question 3:
Assignment Question: (chapter 3)
If we were to think about the chronology of the health care system in the United States, what has been trend in the
United States (summarize major developments)? If you were to design a new social contract, what would it be? Think in terms of two contracts, one between the citizenry and the state and one between the professionals and the health care system. After you have drafted the key points of both, ask yourself whether you have been internally consistent between the two.
Question 4:
Assigned Reading: (pgs. 79 – 89)
Assignment Questions: This chapter offers some comparative information on the health systems of developed countries? How would you interpret these? What other comparative statistics would you like to see? If you were a newly appointed Health Czar for the U.S., what would you like to see on your office “dashboard”?
Question 5:
Research the French health care system on the Web and summarize several paragraphs on the French health care system. If you saw the movie, Sicko, describe how Michael Moore’s portrayal of that system does and does not line up with your findings
Question 6:
Assigned Reading: Chapter 4 – Where Do We Want to Be? – pp. 91-102; Case 4-1, National Standards on Culturally and
Linguistically Appropriate Services in Health and Health Care,pp.102-106.
Assignment Question: Case 4-1 is a case of a federal standard that applies to federal programs. Should they apply to all health care services? Today, people are expressing concerns about the costs and hassle of regulatory “mandates.”
Using the case as example explore the costs and managerial time and effort involved. If you wanted to, how could you change the standards to help reduce the burden of this and other mandates? Feel free to present other examples of regulations and mandates from your work experience.