Public Policy: Health Care and the Environment

1. Public Policy: Health Care and the Environment Terence An, Angeline Apostolou, Ben Kustanovich, Lerner, Rohan Reddy,

2. Key Concepts for Health Care • Health Maintenance Organization: network health plan contracted by individuals, employers, or insurance companies to provide health care for a yearly fee • Limit the choice of doctors and treatments • About 60 percent of Americans are enrolled in HMO’s or similar programs • Aetna Health Care v. Davila • Patients’ bill of rights: proposal before congress to give patients certain rights against medical providers, particularly HMO’s • Right to sue against HMO denials of care • Right to see a doctor of ones choice • Access to reasonable emergency care without prior authorization from a plan, etc. • National health insurance: an insurance program for all Americans that would have the government finance citizens’ medical care. • Medicare: a program added to social security • Provides hospitalization insurance for the elderly • Permits older Americans to purchase inexpensive coverage for medical expenses • Running out of money • Some doctors deny service to Medicare participants • Medicaid: a public assistance program designed to provide health care for poor Americans • Medicaid is funded by both the states and the national government • Covers only 42% of people below poverty line

3. National Health Care Harry S. Truman first pushed for the idea Every other modern nation has some form of nationalized health care Originally opposed by the American Medical Association As of the writing of this textbook 62% support as well as AMA Clinton Health Care Reform Required raise in taxes Small business Health alliances Capped Medicare and Medicaid Obama Care Passed Mandatory Change in public opinion Dem controlled both Current polls show approval of 50%

4. Family and Medical Leave Act • Unpaid job protected leave for employees of covered employers for specified family and medical reasons • Part of the Clinton Agenda • Criticism: • More used by female • Makes woman more expensive to employ • Creates subtle discrimination • Administered by the Wage and Hour Division of the Employment Standards Administration of the United States Department of Labor.

5. Prescription Drug Costs • How to deal with the rising costs of drugs • The Canadian government • bargains with pharmaceutical companies to buy drugs in bulk at a lower price. • US government refuses • New Medicare legislation in 2006 bans the government from negotiating drug prices • Private companies would be more effective at bargaining • Fear government involvement would overwhelm the free market • Price-Fixing • Ending the ban could alleviate some pressure on the Medicare and Medicaid programs

6. Key Concepts for Environmental Policy Environment protection agency: charged with administering all the governments environmental legislation Administers polices dealing with toxic wastes Largest federal independent regulatory agency National environmental policy act: established the requirements for environmental impact statements Environmental impact statements: a report required by the NEPA that specifies the likely environmental impact of a proposed action NEPA requires that all proposed policies that impact the environment must file a statement with the EPA Endangered species act: requires the federal government to actively protect species on the endangered species list Regardless of the economic effect on the surrounding towns or regions Superfund: a fund created by congress in 1980 to clean up hazardous waste sites Money for the fund comes from taxing chemical products

7. Clean Air Act (1970) • Purpose: Environmentalism • Charges Department of Transportation with reducing transportation emissions • Argument against • Automobile industry weakened the bill • Impractical • Foreign Competition • Air Pollution Control • Emissions Trading Market • Give companies a license to pollute

8. Clean Water Act (1972) • Original name before the 1977 amendment was the Water Pollution Control Act • Regulates water quality • Pollutants can only be dumped into point sources • Requires a permit to pollute navigable waters • People challenge federal jurisdiction over water • United States v. Riverside Bayview Homes, Inc • Rapanos v. United States

9. ANWR Oil Drilling Drill in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge? Harm to natural wildlife in the largest refuge in America Debate started in 1977 Protected by the Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act 1980 In 2008, GW Bush signed a moratorium for the ban on drilling

10. Aviation Security Goal: to prevent criminal activity on airports and aircrafts Hijacking 9/11 effects Heightening of security Department of transportation Transportation Security Agency Baggage Check 1955 Jack Graham put a bomb in his mothers suitcase 1960 suicide bombing