The American Healthcare System

Spring 2019
CLASSROOM INSTRUCTIONS

Grading

Student evaluation and grading will be based:

 10% on class participation; and
 90% on written assignments. The written assignments will consist of three briefing papers
plus a final research report described below.
 IMPORTANT: For a grade of “A” in the class, you must have an A on all three briefing
papers and an A on the term paper!
 Excessive unexcused absences will result in grade reduction!

Class Participation

The format of the class will be lecture and interactive discussion. You’re expected to make a
significant contribution to the class and the learning experience of your colleagues by
 diligently preparing for each class by reading each of the required readings; and
 making thoughtful contributions to classroom discussion.

The class should be viewed as a laboratory to test and challenge new ideas and concepts. Class
participation will be evaluated based on the quality and intellectual integrity of your contribution.
Attendance is necessary but not sufficient. You must actively contribute. More than two
absences may result in grade reduction (2 points for each absence). Report excused absences
(including job conflicts) to the professor.

Briefing Papers

You are an entry level healthcare careerist. Your supervisor holds regular group meetings with
other early careerists to discuss critical healthcare topics. You choose a topic and prepare a
briefing paper for the group. Each briefing paper can be a maximum of three pages in length,
double-spaced so your analysis is going to have to be concise and to the point. Your paper is the
only source of information about this topic for the group (ie assume your audience knows
nothing about the topic). The group will be expected to choose a strategic planning position
based upon your presentation.

The group needs to know four things:

1. What’s the real issue here (“the frame” as it’s known in politics)? Introduce and define
the topic.
2. Discuss the details of the topic
3. Does the position have support or opposition? Who will be sympathetic to it and who
will be opposed? No position is going to please everyone, but it will have to resonate
with a significant majority.
4. What is your position? It can’t be evasive or ambiguous; you must take a stand one way
or the other. The opinion is an important part of the briefing paper.

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 The American Healthcare System
Spring 2019
CLASSROOM INSTRUCTIONS

Choose any three of the seven following healthcare issues to write a policy brief on. You may
write up as many as you like-- your grade will be based upon the best three. More than 3
submissions will be looked upon favorably. BRIEFING PAPERS MUST BE SUBMITTED
PRIOR TO THE START OF CLASS ON THE DUE DATE! The issues and their due dates
are:

Topic Due Date

1. What is “Managed Care”? What are the types of Managed Care Organizations Jan 30
(MCOs)? What was the Managed Care “backlash”? What is your solution to
contain healthcare costs?
2. What is Medicare? What are the components and how are they financed? What Feb 6
are the problems facing Medicare? What are your solutions?
3. What are the major pressures being faced by providers (hospitals and
physicians)? How are providers responding to these pressures? Feb 20
4. Why does healthcare cost so much? What can realistically can be done to
restrain it’s future growth? What should be our position? Mar 6
5. How good is American healthcare? How does it compare to other countries? Mar 13
How can healthcare quality be improved?
6. What is integrated healthcare? Are integrated healthcare systems the answer? Mar 27
What are the positives, and what are the limiting factors to establish such
systems? Are there examples of successful integrated systems?

7. Should fee for service be maintained? If not, what other types of payment Apr 3
reforms should be instituted to control costs? What is your position?

Research Report

You will be required to submit a comprehensive research report on an aspect of healthcare by

Friday, Dec 7.. If you choose to do an analysis of a component of the Healthcare Reform Act
(ACA). DO NOT TRY TO COVER THE ENTIRE ACT! It should cover one or more of the
following:
1. Some key components of the reform act and their consequences. (limit your topic).
2. Missing elements in the reform act and their consequences.
3. Future areas of reform which must be addressed.
4. Problems with the enactment of the ACA.

A thoughtful, well written, graduate level paper of 12-15 pages is what’s expected. The grade
will be assigned based on both quality of analysis and clarity of expression. Tightly reasoned
analysis and good grammar and sentence structure are important. Double spaced in size 12 font.
Please include source citations, including those from the web. Use MLA format for citations.
Two students may collaborate to write the term paper. They will receive the same grade.

The Research Report is due on or before Friday, April 26

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 The American Healthcare System
Spring 2019
CLASSROOM INSTRUCTIONS

Guidelines and Due Dates

All papers are due on or before the posted due date. A significant deduction will be made for
late submissions. The Briefing Papers should be submitted as a word document in electronic
format and emailed to Professor Fleming at f.fleming@utdallas.edu. IMPORTANT: the research
paper should be submitted via e-learning. It will be checked via Turnitin for originality. Papers
with lack of originality over 35% will be carefully evaluated for plagiarism!