Advocacy Paper
Advocacy Paper
Each student will do an individual project of interest to the student requiring in-depth study and research that focuses on an aspect of the law related to healthcare.
The student can earn up to 70 total points in a paper. An additional opportunity to share your project ideas with others may be available in a discussion board or in a class presentation in person.
- Explain why the existing situation is a problem; who, how, and what it negatively impacts, and why it needs changing.
- Explain how the problem got the way it is. What is its relevant history? Was it legislated, authorized as a regulation, interpreted by court cases, a combination of those events?
- Create a new situation, statute, regulation, rule, or other practice that if changed the way you suggest and describe it should be, will result in a more ideal state in health care. Be specific about the change you suggest. Identify a statute, regulation, rule or other restriction or practice that needs to be changed in order to make a more perfect health care world. The perspective taken can be from that of an elected legislative or Congressional position, or a professional in a provider agency, advocate, or consumer in health services.
- Describe how your change will be accepted or rejected by different groups. Also who will have to act to put it in place? Who will resist it? What barriers will need to be overcome? How will you overcome those barriers? This is not describing how any rule or law is enacted, but what challenges your proposal will have.
Grading for the Advocacy Paper
Use accurate facts. Make it readable, free of grammatical errors, use good numbers and quality of resources and sources, and reflect your clear understanding of the law, legal aspects, and implications of the proposed change.
General areas for topics may be
- Covid-19 the challenge, how managed
- Constitutional issues between states and federal government
- Medicaid and Medicare
- state and federal involvement in the medical use of marijuana to Medicaid regulations
- role of administrative agencies
- patient rights
- antitrust
- malpractice
- rules governing providers
- right to life, choice
- right to treatment
- privacy and related issues like abortion
- Affordable Care Act 2010
- Universal Healthcare or Single Payer systems
- Medicaid expansion
Select a topic not with the intent of convincing others to your way of thinking, but to demonstrate your understanding of the law and the ability to effectively advocate a position. This project involves research. References should be used and identified and cited using APA. This is not to be a transfer of information from one place to another. Nor is it a fishing expedition with a conclusion based on conjecture or speculation or your own bias/opinion. This project is a creative venture founded on research. It is rooted in values. It will reveal your understanding of one aspect of real world law and the legal system. Grading will be based in part on whether:
- there is a clear explanation of the issue and its significance
- there are sources credible and identified
- it is practical or feasible
- it involved preparation
- you can defend your creation
