Light

Healthcare Policy

Definition

Healthcare policy refers to the plans, decisions and actions undertaken to achieve specific healthcare goals within a society. It can involve anything from public health measures to insurance coverage regulations.

Analogy

Think of healthcare policy like a school's rules and guidelines. Just as these rules are designed to ensure every student gets an equal education and stays safe, healthcare policies aim to provide everyone with access to affordable and quality medical care.

Related terms

Affordable Care Act (ACA): A comprehensive health care reform law enacted in March 2010 during the Obama administration which aimed at making health insurance more affordable and accessible for Americans.

Medicare: A national health insurance program in the United States begun in 1966 under the Social Security Administration (SSA) primarily providing health insurance for Americans aged 65 or older.

Public Health: The science dealing with protection and improvement of community health by organized community effort including preventive medicine, health education, control of communicable diseases, application of sanitary measures etc.