MARY BALDWIN COLLEGE HEALTH CARE ADMINISTRATION PROGRAM. HCA/POLS 245: Health Care Policy, Politics, and Law. Fall 2013-Blackboard Learn Learn Online

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1 MARY BALDWIN COLLEGE HEALTH CARE ADMINISTRATION PROGRAM HCA/POLS 245: Health Care Policy, Politics, and Law Fall 2013-Blackboard Learn Learn Online Course Instructor: Dr. Peter L. Cruise, Adjunct Associate Professor Contact Information: or (561) This is a Skype number. If I am not able to answer, please leave a VM with your number and the best time to call you back. Office Hours: Online in the Blackboard Learn course Chat Room on Thursday evenings from 8:00-9:00pm ET; other times by appointment. Course Description: This asynchronous online class is designed for the student interested in gaining a better understanding of the factors that shape health care policy in this country. It will explore the concept of public policy and the various types of health care policies. Several theoretical approaches will be reviewed, including: historical, institutional, and pluralistic approaches. Important actors involved political health care debate and their strategies to influence policy will be analyzed. The stages of the policy process will provide structure for examining case studies of several significant health care policies. Major topics in health care law will also be analyzed. Learning Outcomes: At the conclusion of this course, the student will be able to: 1. Understand the concept of public policy, particularly as it relates to health care issues in the United States 2. Explain the public-private nature of the U.S. health care system and be able to identify various types of heath care policy in this country at the various levels of government 3. Apply various theoretical approaches to the study of policymaking to the health care sector 4. Appreciate the historical and ideological factors influencing health care policy in the U.S. 5. Become familiar with diverse actors and institutions involved in shaping health care policy and the ways in which they exert influence. 1

2 6. Identify the stages in the policy making process. 7. Analyze in some depth the politics of policymaking for several significant health care initiatives, including those at the state and the national levels (particularly the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act). 8. Gain a level of familiarity with the practical aspects of how one might influence the policy process through the political process. 9. Understand important concepts in health care law such as: corporate compliance, fraud and abuse, physician/patient relationships, HIPAA, privacy and security, EHRs, EMTALA. A Note about this Asynchronous Learning with Blackboard Learn Courses: Asynchronous learning is a student-centered teaching method that uses online learning resources to facilitate information sharing outside the constraints of time and place among a network of people. (adapted from: Mayadas, F [March 1997], "Asynchronous learning networks: a Sloan Foundation perspective," Journal of Asynchronous Learning Networks). By this definition, HCA 245 is a class that meets continuously for the Fall term However, we are not meeting at a specific time or place within the semester, but we do have assignments and readings due at various points during the semester, as will be explained below. The online learning resources used to support asynchronous learning include , electronic mailing lists, threaded conferencing systems, online discussion boards, wikis, and blogs. Course management systems such as Blackboard Learn, have been developed to support online interaction, allowing users to organize discussions, post and reply to messages, and upload and access multimedia. [Bourne, JR (September 1998), "Net-learning: strategies for on-campus and offcampus network-enabled learning", Journal of Asynchronous Learning Networks 2 (2)]. By this definition, we are using the Blackboard Learn Learn course software adopted by Mary Baldwin College as its online software platform. If you are fairly new to online courses, don't worry. The course software we use-blackboard Learn Learn-makes it pretty easy to get to all the material you will need for this course, so you can focus on Health Care Policy, Politics and Law, and not too much on your computer. During this first week we will get to know each other through online introductions which we will place in the Discussion Forum under Week 1. The Discussion Forum is divided into Weeks This area is where we all interact together--much like in an on ground classroom. It is important that you visit the appropriate Discussion Forum section each week--and participate in our class activities there each week. The Discussion Forum weeks follow the date schedule of this class, as is noted below. 2

3 Technical Issues: There are times when Blackboard Learn may be unavailable. These times are usually announced on mymbc. If Blackboard Learn is generally unavailable at a particular time frame, I will make allowances for assignment submissions. Please read the MBC Blackboard Learn FAQs tab on the left course screen menu at the start of the course to help answer any general technical questions you might have. As we are an asynchronous online course, you can access the course from anywhere with an internet connection and your MBC password. Computers are available on campus in several locations and in public libraries around the United States. You will always have access to the course as long as Blackboard Learn at MBC is working. Therefore, please do not use the lack of a working computer as a reason for not completing an assignment. A Note About Course Weeks Each course Week begins on Monday at 12:01 am ET and ends seven days later on Sunday 11:59pm ET. It is important that you participate in each Discussion Forum topic during the week it is assigned and "open." After the assigned week is over, that Discussion Forum section "closes" and you can no longer participate or get Discussion grade points in that week. Also, assignments and projects due for a particular week must be submitted via Blackboard Learn no later than the end of the course week they are due. More on Discussion Forum Participation: Discussion Forum Questions provide a forum for you to ask questions and answer important questions about the course material. The discussion forum questions also allow you to receive feedback from the instructor and other students in the class. The instructor will interact with students within the discussion board each week. A discussion question grade will be posted to the Blackboard Learn gradebook for each week. Weekly Assignments: Each course week will have readings and assignments as well as particular due dates. Click on the Assignments link on the left course menu for these readings and assignments, listed as Weeks Each course week (except for exam week) will also have a Discussion Forum topic. Click on the Discussions tab on the left screen menu to access these weekly items. Use of Rubrics for Grading: Many online college courses use rubrics in the grading process. Rubrics are guides that help to score and grade the performance of students. Rubrics can be used by both instructors and students 3

4 when creating, scoring, grading, or providing feedback on course tasks and assignments. These performance guides can help to provide a common understanding between students and instructors regarding the learning and performance expectations. Rubrics can also be used to evaluate student work collected for purposes of assessment, program evaluation, and improvement of student learning (for more on rubrics, see So both the instructor and students have a common understanding of expectations for work submitted in this course, I have developed a set of rubrics that I will use to grade your online discussions and your written project work. The rubrics translate into point totals which ultimately translate to the final letter grade for the course. The MBC course grade scale is listed below in the Grade Scale section. Please find your Discussion Forum and Project Rubrics for all discussions in the Rubrics section below. Contacting the Instructor You can contact me at any time via (pcruise@mbc.edu) or via Skype at I check and Skype several times each day. You can post a question for me in the Discussion Board also. I always respond within 24 hours or less. You can seek me out in real time through the course Blackboard Learn Chat Room during my online office hours. I will return your graded work to you within 72 hours of its due date, and probably sooner. I always reference Grading Rubrics for this course when I return your work. Required texts: Health Policymaking in the United States-5 th Edition (2010). Beaufort B. Longest, Jr. Chicago, IL; Health Administration Press. ISBN 13: Health Care Law (2009). Janice Kazmier. Clifton Park, NY: Cengage/Delmar Learning. ISBN 13: LATE POLICY Late work will not be accepted unless there are clear and compelling extenuating circumstances. If you have extenuating circumstances that prevent you from completing course assignments/exams you must contact your instructor immediately prior to the assignment/exam/quiz due-date unless prevented from doing so by emergency circumstances. Examples of extenuating circumstances are serious personal and/or family illness/hospitalization, death in the family, weather-related evacuation/emergencies, work emergencies, and issues related to active military assignment. Personal computer/software/internet connectivity issues and course blocks are not considered extenuating circumstances. Granting of late-work submission due to extenuating circumstances is at the discretion of the instructor and will require documentation for verification of extenuating circumstances. If late work submission is granted, the instructor will establish new due-dates and requirements without loss of course points. Ultimately, if the late submission date is not met, students may receive a zero for that assignment. 4

5 NETIQUETTE Interactions in an online classroom are in written form. Your comfort level with expressing ideas and feelings in writing will add to your success in an online course. The ability to write is necessary, but you also need to understand what is considered appropriate when communicating online. The word "netiquette" is short for "Internet etiquette." Rules of netiquette have grown organically with the growth of the Internet to help users act responsibly when they access or transmit information online. As a Mary Baldwin University student, you should be aware of the common rules of netiquette for the Web and employ a communication style that follows these guidelines. Wait to respond to a message that upsets you and be careful of what you say and how you say it. Be considerate. Rude or threatening language, inflammatory assertions (often referred to as "flaming"), personal attacks, and other inappropriate communication will not be tolerated. Never post a message that is in all capital letters -- it comes across to the reader as SHOUTING! Use boldface and italics sparingly, as they can denote sarcasm. Keep messages short and to the point. Always practice good grammar, punctuation, and composition. This shows that you ve taken the time to craft your response and that you respect your classmates' work. Keep in mind that threaded discussions are meant to be constructive exchanges. Be respectful and treat everyone as you would want to be treated yourself. Use spell check! Grade Scale: There are a maximum of 1000 points available. Divide your final point total by 10 to determine your letter grade on the scale below. A- = A = B- = B = B+ = C- = C = C+ = D- = D = D+ = 67 69, F = 59 or below Academic Honesty: All students are expected to adhere to MBC policy requiring honesty in their work. 5

6 Course Schedule Week # and Topic Week 1 Learning Activities Read Chapter 1 (Longest) Introduce Yourself Participate in Discussion Week 2 Read Chapter 2 (Longest), Participate in Discussion Week 3 Week 4 Read Chapter 3 (Longest) Read Drawing Lobbyists to Washington: Government Activity and Demand for Advocacy Read The Potential Health Effects of Citizens United Participate in Discussion Read Chapter 4 (Longest) Participate in Discussion Week 5 Read Chapters 5 & 6 (Longest) Participate in Discussion Assessments Case Study Reflection Assignment - 30 points Discussion 20 points Case Study Reflection Assignment 30 points Discussion 20 points Project Outline for Project Due in Week 4 20 points Discussion 20 points Project 100 points Discussion 20 points Assignment 30 points Discussion 20 points Week 6 Read Chapter 7 (Longest) Participate in Discussion Week 7 Read Chapter 8 (Longest) Participate in Discussion Discussion 20 points Discussion 20 points Week 8 Week 9 Read Longest Appendix 1 and 2 Read Annals of Internal Medicine Summaries for Patients: The Effect of Medicare Part D on Drug Utilization and Expenditures View video: 60 Minutes Steve Kroft Reports on Drug Lobbyists Role in Passing Bill that Keeps Drug Prices High Participate in Discussion Read American Health Policy: Cracks in the Foundation View video: Accountable Care Organizations: A New Paradigm for Health Care Delivery? Read The Debate that Wasn t : The Public and the Clinton Health Plan Read What Happened to Americans Support for the Clinton Health Plan? Read the AHA Legislative Manual Participate in Discussion 6 Discussion 20 points Project 100 points Discussion 20 points

7 Week 10 Week 11 Week 12 Week 13 Week 14 Read Chapters 2, 3 and 4 (Kazmier) Participate in Discussion Read Chapters 5 and 6 (Kazmier) Participate in Discussion Read Chapters 7 and 8 (Kazmier) Participate in Discussion Read Chapters 9 and 10 (Kazmier) Participate in Discussion MBC Final Exam Week Project -100 points Discussion -20 points Project-100 points Discussion 20 points Project-100 points Discussion-20 points Discussion-20 points Final Examination 130 points Blackboard Learn Gradebook: Every gradable course activity that appears in the course gradebook is listed in the table below. Remember: Chicago/Turabian style is the required format to follow in doing endnotes, bibliography, etc., for all written HCA assignments. Please refer to the two following websites related to The Bedford Handbook, 6 th ed. for free sample papers in the Chicago style: and All HCA classes with written papers must use the in-text raised number endnote style, with the Endnote page after the conclusion and before the Bibliography/Reference List. The written assignment, outline and projects listed below are described in more detail in the Blackboard Learn course pages. Gradebook Week # Total Discussion Assignments Outline Paper for Week # Projects Final Examination Total

8 RUBRICS Discussion Forum Participation Rubric Students are expected to post: A Minimum of three posts per weekly discussion thread. o one post in response to the instructor s question by EOD Wednesday o two posts in response to two classmates by EOD Sunday, end of Week Grade Evaluation Criteria Percentage A/A- B+/B/B- C+/C/C- D+/D/D- F Participates with the required number of relevant postings of required length Initial response posted by Wednesday; comments posted by Sunday. Consistently responds to postings Consistently uses Standard American English with rare misspellings Frequently attempts to motivate the group discussion Presents creative approaches to topic Accurately cites information. Participates with the required number of relevant postings of required length Initial response posted by Wednesday; comments posted by Sunday. Postings reflect the reading and some outside source material but may not be accurately cited. Consistently uses Standard American English with rare misspellings Comments are logical and reflect critical thinking. Participates with the required number of relevant postings of required length Initial response posted by Wednesday; comments posted by Sunday. Participates, but does not post anything that encourages others to respond to the posting. Minimal grammatical or spelling errors are noted in posts Opinions and ideas are stated clearly Participates with the required number of relevant postings Initial response not posted by Wednesday; comments posted by Sunday. Significant errors in spelling and/or grammar Occasionally posts off topic Posts do not meet length requirements Does not meet the required number of posts on time Poor spelling and grammar appear in most posts Posts topics which do not relate to the discussion content % 80-89% 70-79% <60%

9 Projects Rubric Grade Evaluation Criteria Percentage A/A- B+/B/B- C+/C/C- D+/D/D- F Focuses clearly on the assignment. Well organized. Shows original and critical thought. Answers all questions with clarity, thought and substance, using references and examples as appropriate. The writing style is appropriate to the assignment, interesting to read, accurate (no far-fetched, unsupported comments), precise (say what you mean), and concise (not wordy). Contains very few if any spelling, grammatical, or other errors. Shows some focus on the assignment with only minimal evidence of going off topic. Most sections are well organized and clear. Answers most questions with clarity, thought and substance, using some references and examples as appropriate. The writing style is generally appropriate to the assignment, interesting to read, accurate (no far-fetched, unsupported comments), precise (say what you mean), and concise (not wordy). Contains few spelling, grammatical, or other errors. Focus of the assignment is unclear or veers off of the assigned topic in places. While the organization is okay in some places, the overall organization of the assignment is not effective. Shows little original thought. Answers some questions incompletely, and references and examples are not used when needed. The writing style is appropriate in places, but elsewhere language is vague and imprecise. Numerous spelling, grammatical, or other errors. Assignment is very unfocused. The organization has multiple problems. Shows very little original thought. Answers several questions incompletely, and references and examples are not adequate to support the points being made. Writing style interferes with the development and clarity of the main points. Numerous spelling, grammatical, or other errors. Assignment meets none or very few of the assignment's guidelines. The components outlined for a 'D' paper are not met. It may be plagiarized % 80-89% 70-79% 60-69% <60% 9

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