Project Summary: Assignment Due Jan 23 Develop a legislative or regulatory proposal. This might involve drafting a legislation for introduction at the state or federal level. It might involve developing a regulatory proposal for presentation to a health-related state or federal agency. As long as it has to do with a Health Policy related issue. The first step in this process is to identify a specific topic for your proposal. You will need to define the nature of the health policy problem, research and evaluate relevant alternative solutions, and draft your proposed solution (your policy proposal). You have all taken one or more legal and ethical issues in healthcare related course (s). Some of you may also have some background, life experiences, or interests that relate to specific health law issues. Begin your thinking about a possible proposal in these areas. Be ambitious, but realistic. It is overambitious to try to draft a National Health Care Plan proposal in one semester. As an example you may want to draft one piece of a state level private insurance reform. You may also want to look at recent health-related legislation and regulations in other states, as well as legislative and regulatory proposals in Georgia. Although more than one of you may work on related proposals, you must each develop your own, unique policy proposal. To that end, it is better that you work on your own (i.e., without collaboration from classmates) proposal throughout the summer semester. All assigned submissions must be typed, double-spaced Word documents, using 12 point Times New Roman font and standard margins. Check and proofread your work product thoroughly before submitting. PRELIMENARY ANALYSIS Develop a basis statement for your proposal. Specifically, you will prepare and submit a 6-7 page preliminary analysis that includes the following: (1) a statement and explanation of the problem or issue to be addressed by your proposal; (2) a summary of the current law regarding the problem or issue; (3) an evaluation of possible solutions; (4) a summary of your legislative or regulatory proposal (this should not be a draft of the proposal, but rather a summary of the basic aspects of your proposal, what it would do, and how it would do it); and (5) an appendix (an annotated bibliography of legal and health policy research literature you reviewed, related to your problem and proposal). (6) an analysis of how implementation of your proposal will be funded. DRAFT POLICY PROPOSAL The next assignment submission is an initial draft of your legislative or regulatory proposal. The submission should include: (1) a 1-2 page fact statement that explains the problem and the solution you propose. The fact statement should be written so that legislators, interest groups, and the lay public can quickly grasp the issue and how your legislative or regulatory proposal addresses it. Use plain English. In general, the more convoluted the language in your proposal, the less likely your success in getting it adopted as a statute or regulation (think elevator speech. This is a quick speech you would give to someone important in an elevator. Once you get off the elevator, this important person should have a sound grasp on what you were trying to say). (2) a draft of your proposed bill or regulation. (3) Please cite any and all state laws, regulations, and agency policies that relate to the issue you are addressing. These are included to provide me the context in which to evaluate and constructively critique your drafting effort. (4) an outline of any issues or problems you identify while drafting your proposal. FINAL POLICY PROPOSAL The final assignment submission is your proposed bill or regulation. Your final proposal should reflect refinement of your draft proposal based on additional research, analysis, and class discussion. Along with the final proposal you must submit (a) a memorandum explaining the proposal, and (b) a one page fact statement (as described above, but now it is more refined). The memorandum should: (1) identify the problem or issue addressed by your proposal, explain how the proposal will change current law and why this is necessary and desirable; (2) explain, with appropriate authority, current law on the problem or issue; (3) include additional hard evidence of your communications with interest groups, agencies, and elected officials you plan on contacting about the proposal, and whether you believe each supports or opposes the proposal. This section should identify any other interested groups or individuals you could contact prior to introducing the proposal.