How Health Care Reform and Policy Changes Are Explored in BHA-FPX3001

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How Health Care Reform and Policy Changes Are Explored in BHA-FPX3001

Introduction

BHA-FPX3001: Introduction to Health Care Systems at Capella University provides students with a foundational understanding of how health care systems are organized, financed, and governed in the United States. One of the most critical aspects of this course is its focus on health care reform and policy change — two driving forces that shape the quality, accessibility, and sustainability of health care delivery.

Health care reform refers to systematic efforts to improve health care performance, including access to services, cost containment, and patient outcomes. Policy changes, on the other hand, represent the laws, regulations, and administrative decisions that guide reform efforts. Through BHA-FPX3001, students explore how reforms are developed, implemented, and evaluated, gaining the analytical tools to understand and respond to the evolving policy landscape in health care.

1. Overview of Health Care Reform in BHA-FPX3001

The course begins by providing an overview of why reform is essential in health care. Students learn that health care systems are dynamic and must adapt to new challenges such as population growth, aging demographics, rising costs, and technological innovation.

BHA-FPX3001 examines reform from multiple perspectives—economic, political, ethical, and clinical—showing how these factors interact to influence change. Students explore how reforms aim to achieve three major objectives, often referred to as the “Triple Aim” of health care:

• Improving the patient experience of care (quality and satisfaction).

• Improving the health of populations.

• Reducing the per capita cost of health care.

By examining these objectives, learners develop a strong understanding of why reform efforts are necessary and how they are evaluated for effectiveness.

2. Historical Context: Major Health Care Reforms in the U.S.

BHA-FPX3001 encourages students to study the evolution of health care reform in the United States. Understanding the historical context helps learners recognize recurring themes in policy debates and reform initiatives.

a. The Social Security Act of 1965

Students begin by examining the Social Security Amendments of 1965, which established Medicare and Medicaid. These programs represented the first major step toward providing government-supported health coverage for vulnerable populations — older adults, low-income families, and individuals with disabilities.

Through discussions and case studies, learners analyze how these programs have evolved to address changing needs and how policy adjustments continue to shape their funding and coverage.

b. Managed Care and Cost Control (1980s–1990s)

The rise of managed care in the 1980s and 1990s marked another significant reform era. The course explores how managed care organizations (HMOs and PPOs) attempted to control costs and improve efficiency by coordinating patient care and emphasizing preventive services.

c. The Affordable Care Act (2010)

The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA) is a major focus in BHA-FPX3001. Students study how this law expanded access to insurance, promoted preventive health, and introduced value-based care models that reward providers for quality rather than quantity of services.

By analyzing the ACA, students gain insight into how large-scale reforms are enacted and the challenges policymakers face in implementing them.

3. Understanding the Policy Change Process

BHA-FPX3001 helps students understand that policy change is a structured, multi-stage process. Learners explore how ideas move from public concern to legislative action, then to implementation and evaluation.

a. The Policy-Making Stages

The course breaks down the policy-making process into several stages:

1. Problem Identification: Recognizing health issues that require government attention (e.g., rising costs, disparities, or quality concerns).

2. Policy Formulation: Developing proposed solutions through legislation or regulation.

3. Adoption: Gaining political support and formal approval from governing bodies.

4. Implementation: Translating policy into actionable programs and administrative processes.

5. Evaluation: Assessing whether the policy achieves its intended outcomes.

By studying these stages, students learn that reform requires collaboration among multiple stakeholders—from lawmakers and regulators to health administrators and clinicians.

b. Stakeholders in Policy Reform

Students also analyze the roles of different stakeholders in shaping and influencing reform, including:

• Federal and state governments.

• Health insurance companies.

• Hospital and physician associations.

• Patient advocacy groups.

• Academic and research institutions.

BHA-FPX3001 highlights how these groups contribute to policy debates and how their perspectives shape reform outcomes.

4. Analyzing the Impact of Health Care Reform

One of the key learning outcomes of BHA-FPX3001 is the ability to evaluate how reforms impact health care systems. The course encourages students to assess reforms through three major dimensions: access, quality, and cost.

a. Access to Health Care

Students examine how reforms such as the ACA expanded insurance coverage through Medicaid expansion, health insurance exchanges, and subsidies for low-income individuals.

Discussions also explore ongoing challenges, such as coverage gaps in non-expansion states and the affordability of private insurance premiums.

b. Quality of Care

The course delves into how reforms promote quality improvement. For example, value-based purchasing programs encourage hospitals and physicians to focus on outcomes like patient safety, readmission rates, and patient satisfaction.

c. Cost Containment

Cost control remains a major reform goal. Students learn how policies like bundled payments, accountable care organizations (ACOs), and telehealth initiatives aim to reduce waste, improve coordination, and enhance cost efficiency.

Through these analyses, students gain practical insights into how policy changes directly affect patients, providers, and administrators.

5. Health Care Reform and the Role of Technology

BHA-FPX3001 also explores how technological advancements influence health care reform. The course examines how innovations such as electronic health records (EHRs), telemedicine, and data analytics have reshaped policy priorities.

For instance:

• The Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health (HITECH) Act of 2009 incentivized hospitals to adopt EHR systems.

• Telehealth reforms during and after the COVID-19 pandemic expanded access for rural and underserved populations.

Students discuss how technology-driven policy changes have enhanced care delivery while introducing new challenges related to data security, interoperability, and cost.

6. Evaluating Policy Outcomes and Reform Effectiveness

Another critical area covered in BHA-FPX3001 is policy evaluation — determining whether a reform achieves its goals. Students learn methods of policy analysis, such as cost-benefit evaluation, outcome measurement, and stakeholder feedback.

Case studies encourage learners to think critically about whether policies meet their intended objectives. For example:

• Did the ACA effectively reduce the number of uninsured Americans?

• Has telehealth policy reform improved care for rural communities?

• Are value-based care models truly reducing health care spending?

By engaging with these questions, students develop evidence-based reasoning skills essential for effective health administration.

7. Preparing Students to Respond to Policy Change

Finally, BHA-FPX3001 prepares students to adapt to and lead through policy changes. Health care administrators must understand how new laws affect operational decisions, compliance requirements, and strategic planning.

Students develop practical skills to:

• Interpret new regulations and apply them in organizational contexts.

• Communicate policy changes to staff and stakeholders.

• Advocate for reforms that align with patient-centered care and ethical standards.

By the end of the course, learners are equipped not only to understand reforms but to participate actively in shaping policy discussions in their professional roles.

Conclusion

BHA-FPX3001: Introduction to Health Care Systems offers students a deep and practical understanding of health care reform and policy change in the U.S. system. Through historical analysis, policy evaluation, and real-world case studies, learners explore how reforms emerge, evolve, and influence access, quality, and cost of care.

The course prepares students to think critically about the dynamic nature of health policy—recognizing that reform is not a one-time event but an ongoing process shaped by societal needs, technological advances, and economic realities. Ultimately, BHA-FPX3001 empowers future health administrators to become knowledgeable leaders and policy advocates, capable of driving meaningful change within complex health care environments.

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