While some Americans may cry for government to get out of their healthcare, the probability of that occurring is slim to none. Healthcare is one of the most regulated industries in the United States. The regulations are to protect the health, safety, welfare, quality and cost of healthcare services in this country. Moreover, close to 18% of the United States' gross domestic product is spent on health care. Gross domestic product is the total of all goods and services that are made in a country in one year. That means, in one year, almost $1 out of every $5 is spent on healthcare. The federal government spends over $1 trillion a year on healthcare. As such, politics and healthcare are not a marriage of convenience. They are a marriage of necessity.
Of course, healthcare and politicians are dependent upon the millions of Americans who consume healthcare services every year. Healthcare organizations can have the best hospitals, the best equipment, the most qualified professionals, and the latest technology. However, unless those healthcare organizations have patients, they have no reason for being. The same is true for the government that regulates the industry. Citizens make the government have meaning. At the same time, there is a certain amount of duty placed on consumers and citizenry to be knowledgeable and understand this marriage of necessity.
United States representatives and United States senators are politicians that greatly impact healthcare regulations and how healthcare dollars are spent. As a reminder, U.S. representatives are elected every two years. Representatives are elected to "represent" the opinions and desires of a specified population group on government matters. Ideally, representatives are more tightly connected to the ideas of their constituents because they are elected every two years. As a result, sometimes the U.S. House of Representatives may vote or propose ideas or bills that may not subsequently be supported by the U.S. Senate. All bills for raising money, however, have to start in the House of Representatives.
Senators, on the other hand, are elected every six years. There are two senators for every state in the United States. Senators, ideally, also are elected to represent their constituents in their states. However, senators theoretically are less swayed by the popular opinion pendulum. Rather, they are supposed to be more focused on what is best for the country in the long run. Over the past several years, the Senate has been looked to as the voice of reason for many turbulent issues, including healthcare regulations.
At the federal level, healthcare regulations may be devised through the passage of bills in Congress. In order for a bill to become a law, it must go through quite a lengthy process. A bill may be drafted by a variety of parties, including lobbyists, staffers, representatives or even the President. However, only a member of the House of Representatives can introduce a bill into the house and only a senator may introduce a bill into the Senate. The bill is then sent to committee. The bill is evaluated by the committee, and there may be hearings related to the bill. If the bill makes it out of committee, it may then go to the House floor for debate. During the time of debate, amendments may be added. If a majority of the House votes for a bill, the bill will go to the Senate. Otherwise, the bill will die on the House floor.
The same process of reviewing, debating, amending and voting for the bill happens in the Senate. If a majority of the Senators vote for the bill, it gets sent back to the House. If they do not, the bill dies on the Senate floor. The House must then approve the bill as amended by the Senate again by a majority vote. Sometimes, a committee between the House and Senate must be formed in order to get a bill passed. Once the House approves a bill, the bill goes to the President to sign. The President may sign or veto a bill. If the President vetoes a bill, then both the House and the Senate are required to have a 2/3 vote to pass the bill into law. Thus, for a healthcare regulation to be put into place, a lot of time, effort, deliberation and consideration goes into the process.
In the 115th Congress to date, 817 health bills have been introduced into the House and Senate. Six of those bills have been enacted and become law.
Sources
CMS.gov. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. National Health Expenditure Data. Historical. Found online at: https://www.cms.gov/Research-Statistics-Data-and-Systems/Statistics-Trends-and-Reports/NationalHealthExpendData/NationalHealthAccountsHistorical.html
Congressional Budget Office. Health Care. Projections for Major Health Care Programs for Fiscal Year 2017. Found online at: https://www.cbo.gov/topics/health-care
GovTrack. Health. Found online at: https://www.govtrack.us/congress/bills/subjects/health/6130#current_status[]=28
Of course, healthcare and politicians are dependent upon the millions of Americans who consume healthcare services every year. Healthcare organizations can have the best hospitals, the best equipment, the most qualified professionals, and the latest technology. However, unless those healthcare organizations have patients, they have no reason for being. The same is true for the government that regulates the industry. Citizens make the government have meaning. At the same time, there is a certain amount of duty placed on consumers and citizenry to be knowledgeable and understand this marriage of necessity.
United States representatives and United States senators are politicians that greatly impact healthcare regulations and how healthcare dollars are spent. As a reminder, U.S. representatives are elected every two years. Representatives are elected to "represent" the opinions and desires of a specified population group on government matters. Ideally, representatives are more tightly connected to the ideas of their constituents because they are elected every two years. As a result, sometimes the U.S. House of Representatives may vote or propose ideas or bills that may not subsequently be supported by the U.S. Senate. All bills for raising money, however, have to start in the House of Representatives.
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Senators, on the other hand, are elected every six years. There are two senators for every state in the United States. Senators, ideally, also are elected to represent their constituents in their states. However, senators theoretically are less swayed by the popular opinion pendulum. Rather, they are supposed to be more focused on what is best for the country in the long run. Over the past several years, the Senate has been looked to as the voice of reason for many turbulent issues, including healthcare regulations.
At the federal level, healthcare regulations may be devised through the passage of bills in Congress. In order for a bill to become a law, it must go through quite a lengthy process. A bill may be drafted by a variety of parties, including lobbyists, staffers, representatives or even the President. However, only a member of the House of Representatives can introduce a bill into the house and only a senator may introduce a bill into the Senate. The bill is then sent to committee. The bill is evaluated by the committee, and there may be hearings related to the bill. If the bill makes it out of committee, it may then go to the House floor for debate. During the time of debate, amendments may be added. If a majority of the House votes for a bill, the bill will go to the Senate. Otherwise, the bill will die on the House floor.
The same process of reviewing, debating, amending and voting for the bill happens in the Senate. If a majority of the Senators vote for the bill, it gets sent back to the House. If they do not, the bill dies on the Senate floor. The House must then approve the bill as amended by the Senate again by a majority vote. Sometimes, a committee between the House and Senate must be formed in order to get a bill passed. Once the House approves a bill, the bill goes to the President to sign. The President may sign or veto a bill. If the President vetoes a bill, then both the House and the Senate are required to have a 2/3 vote to pass the bill into law. Thus, for a healthcare regulation to be put into place, a lot of time, effort, deliberation and consideration goes into the process.
In the 115th Congress to date, 817 health bills have been introduced into the House and Senate. Six of those bills have been enacted and become law.
Sources
CMS.gov. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. National Health Expenditure Data. Historical. Found online at: https://www.cms.gov/Research-Statistics-Data-and-Systems/Statistics-Trends-and-Reports/NationalHealthExpendData/NationalHealthAccountsHistorical.html
Congressional Budget Office. Health Care. Projections for Major Health Care Programs for Fiscal Year 2017. Found online at: https://www.cbo.gov/topics/health-care
GovTrack. Health. Found online at: https://www.govtrack.us/congress/bills/subjects/health/6130#current_status[]=28
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