Posted: March 28th, 2021

Legislation Comparison Grid and Testimony/Advocacy Statement

Many nurses encounter daily experiences that motivate them to take on an advocacy role in hopes of impacting policies, laws, or regulations that impact healthcare issues of interest. Of course, doing so means entering the less familiar world of policy and politics. While many nurses do not initially feel prepared to operate in this space effectively, the reward is the opportunity to shape and influence future health policy.

To Prepare:

Select a bill that has been proposed (not one that has been enacted) using the congressional websites provided in the Learning Resources.

The Assignment: (1- to 2-page Comparison Grid; 1- to 2-page Legislation Testimony/Advocacy Statement)

Part 1: Legislation Comparison Grid

Based on the health-related bill (proposed, not enacted) you selected, complete the Legislation Comparison Grid Template. Be sure to address the following:

Determine the legislative intent of the bill you have reviewed.
Identify the proponents/opponents of the bill.
Identify the target populations addressed by the bill.
Where in the process is the bill currently? Is it in hearings or committees?
Is it receiving press coverage?

Part 2: Legislation Testimony/Advocacy Statement

Based on the health-related bill you selected, develop a 1- to 2-page Legislation Testimony/Advocacy Statement that addresses the following:

Advocate a position for the bill you selected and write testimony in support of your position.
Describe how you would address the opponent to your position. Be specific and provide examples.
Recommend at least one amendment to the bill in support of your position.

– essay cola writing sample for part 2-

Legislation Testimony
The bill by Ann Kuster is titled ‘Protecting Americans with Preexisting Conditions Act of 2019’. The bill proposes that Americans who had preexisting conditions before the enactment of the Affordable Care Act should not be charged more or denied healthcare access (H.R. 986. 2019). The various preexisting conditions include asthma, cancer or diabetes. The bill is sponsored by Ann Kuster, a Democrat and a Representative for New Hampshire’s 2nd congressional district.
The testimony to show the importance of the bill is of my friend called John. John has been asthmatic since childhood. He expected that the Affordable Care Act would provide him with an opportunity to receive treatment at a friendly cost (Molyneux, 2018). However, he has been turned down in several hospitals due to the preexisting condition. The condition exposes him to other types of diseases such as pneumonia or bronchitis. Therefore, health organizations and insurance companies argue that he should pay more since he is more exposed to factors that might lead to sickness.
I would address the opponents by showing the statistics of the people who have preexisting conditions. Therefore, it would be unfair for people like John to pay more or be denied healthcare access (Rogers, Kim, Lee, Basu & Tipirneni, 2019). For example, 27 percent or over 52 million people have preexisting conditions by the time the Affordable Care Act was enacted. Therefore, the law is looking into the interests of over 50 million people who are likely to be overcharged or denied access to healthcare (Hampton & Lenhart, 2019). To support the bill, I would recommend the bill to indicate all the preexisting conditions that are covered in the bill. The specific conditions would show that the bill is addressing specific issues that people are going through.
References
Hampton, J. M., & Lenhart, O. (2019). Till insurance do us apart: the effect of the affordable care act preexisting conditions provision on marriage.
Molyneux, J. (2018). Health care policy update: new Medicaid work requirements, preexisting conditions at risk, the drug cost crisis. AJN The American Journal of Nursing, 118(8), 22-24.
Protecting Americans with Preexisting Conditions Act of 2019, H.R. 986, 116th Cong. (2019).
Rogers, M. A., Kim, C., Lee, J. M., Basu, T., & Tipirneni, R. (2019). Private insurance coverage for diabetes before and after enactment of the preexisting condition mandate of the Affordable Care Act, 2005–2016. American journal of public health, 109(4), 562-564.

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