NURS FPX 4050 Assessment 2 Ethical Policy Factors Care Coordination

To further understand how government policies affect care coordination, the example of the Hospital Readmission Reduction Program can be taken. The main function of the HRRP is to reduce the number of readmissions. This is done by encouraging the healthcare service providers (nurses, doctors etc.) to efficiently and expertly discuss post-discharge plans with patients in order to help them recover better, in turn enabling them to avoid readmissions for problems that are manageable (CMS.gov, n.d.).

The way this policy affects care coordination is that it encourages the different healthcare service providers to actively and expertly communicate with one another, and the patients with the objective of delineating to them the various aspects necessary for the after-discharge recovery and treatment. By keeping the motivation of reduced readmissions, this policy serves to improve the quality of coordination and collaboration between patient and professional.

In light of the above argument and the example stated above, it can be seen that this particular policy reflects positively on coordination of care.

NURS FPX 4050 Assessment 2 Ethical Policy Factors Care Coordination

National, State, or Local Policy Provisions that Raise Ethical Dilemmas

There are a few policy provisions that can raise ethical dilemmas, and create implications for care coordination. The first policy provision that can be scrutinized is the Affordable Care Act of 2010. The essence of the Affordable Care Act was the obligation and enforcement of securing health insurance, the failing of which would culminate in the levying of fines (Regis College Online, 2021). From an unbiased perspective, it is quite apparent what ethical complications and dilemmas the ACA can bring about. The ethical corruption of the ACA can be attributed primarily to the aspect of religion. The concept of insurance is an aspect of prohibition in the fastest growing religion in the world viz. Islam. Since the concept of insurance is subjected to prohibition in the third largest religion in the USA, the ACA which is advocating and stressing upon insurance can be seen as an aspect causing ethical unrest and dilemmas. Coming to the effect this has on care coordination, since the lack of insurance will result in fines and penalties, a person who is not insured will not be able to get treated and medically aided. When such discrepancies can occur on the basis of insurance, it can lead to turbulence in the process of care coordination. It can get exceedingly hard for a person without insurance to get treated. If such a person can get partially treated, he can face complications going forward, based on the lack of insurance.

Another policy that can be enumerated in this regard is the HRRP discussed previously. While the concept behind the HRRP was seen to be advantageous, as it encouraged doctors and nurses to better engage and communicate with the patients (CMS.gov, n.d.), there is the chance of ethical complications erupting from it. The complications that can rise from the HRRP can culminate from the possibility of a patient getting misunderstood, or the condition misdiagnosed, which can lead to denial of admission.