Major Rural Issues in Health Care Reform
Introduction:
The purpose of this proposal is to propose the plan for further research on the topic “Major Rural Issues in Health Care Reform”. The first section of the proposal provides a description of rural issues in health care reform, an explanation of why the research is needed, an analysis of audience, and my qualifications for the research. Next, the proposal’s research plan consists of directions, limitations, methods, and timetable of the research. Finally, the thesis and relevance to the audience is restated in order to request for approval of and suggestions on my proposal.
Topic:
–Background information: the issue of uninsurance and underinsurance is very urgent in rural areas because of the rural unique composition. The major section of rural economy is composed of self-employment and small businesses, causing an absence in employer-sponsored insurance and a much higher level of uninsurance and underinsurance in rural areas than in urban areas. Moreover, rural residents are more dependent on public health care programs; however, many of them are not eligible for those programs. Further, in order to share the burden on medical costs, tax credits have been offered to rural residents. But the tax credits have been proven to be cost ineffective and cost inefficient.
–Statement of the problem or situation: Rural residents face most of the same health care problems as do urban residents. Meanwhile, they still face many unique issues and challenges, making their lives harder and harder. The two issues described above are merely two of numerous serious issues confronting rural residents. Also, the seriousness of these issues is becoming more and more prominent in the last decade. As a result, the research is needed now.
–Audience analysis: The audience is Prof. Burdon and my classmates in English class. Based on the last four weeks of English classes, all the students have basic knowledge about several major issues and challenges in the health care and health reform. Based on the four articles read in this class and some research on health care reform, most of them have relatively negative attitudes about the current health care systems in which there are many problems waiting urgently to be resolved. The audience is also very interested in health care reform since the reform is closely related to their lives, which will influence their burden of life, such as changes on employer-sponsored insurance.
–My qualifications: I have studied economics both in Chinese high school and in American college so that I have knowledge and directions on how to research the issues caused by the unique rural economic composition. Moreover, the governments in different levels have provided tax benefits to rural population in order to reduce their burden on medical costs. I have experiences in tax practices to assist me to research how the health care reform will work to resolve problems effectively and efficiently.
Research Plan:
–Scope of research:
Questions or subtopics that will guide the investigation:
There are two subtopics guiding the research. The first topic is the issues and challenges caused by an economy primarily based on self-employment and small businesses in rural areas. The second topic is the continuously increased dependency and need of rural population on public health care programs while many of them are not eligible to access to those programs. Based on the above two subtopics, a major question is very helpful for further research. Will health care reform reach rural Americans effectively and efficiently?
Limitations on the proposed research:
There is a limited amount of information available for research on issues of rural health care system and health care reform. Much available information is to examine and to address issues in American health care in general. However, it does not examine and address many unique aspects of American rural health care. Further, the issues in rural health care are very different from the common issues of American health care so that some deep, specialized knowledge about rural areas are required in order to make meaningful research. Finally, the research will not be abstruse which is limited to the short lengthiness of my oral presentation next week.
–Methods of research:
1. Kinds of information needed:
• Specific data and the analysis on these data regarding the scope and dimensions of several major problems in rural health care.
• Information on academic articles and their relevance to rural health care and health care reform.
2. Sources for that information:
• “The Top Ten Rural Issues for Health Care Reform”, <http://files.cfra.org/pdf/Ten-Rural-Issues-for-Health-Care-Reform.pdf>.
• “What is different about Rural Health Care”, National Rural Health Association. <http://www.ruralhealthweb.org/go/left/about-rural-health/what-s-different-about-rural-health-care>
• “Lessons for Rural Leaders”. Academic Article. <http://0-web.ebscohost.com.library.utulsa.edu/ehost/pdf?vid=5&hid=113&sid=f46f23cf-5a35-4f36-b4f3-2cae83daaca1%40sessionmgr110>.
3. Methods for finding and assessing the information
I will use McFarlin Library’s indexes and databases. I will also work at both scholarly and nonprofit sources in order to find the most unbiased points of view on rural health care.
–Timetable for the project:
I will do the research this week from Feb 8 to Feb. 13, 2010. I will prepare a 7-minute oral presentation to be given in class the following week.
Conclusion:
Many unique rural problems about health care are very prominent when rural residents still face other fundamental problems as urban residents do. In rural areas, many rural residents don’t have access to health care because rural economy is largely composed of self-employment and small businesses. Moreover, in addition to uninsurance and underinsurance, they are also not eligible to public health care programs. Superficially, the issues of rural health care don’t have any relevance to my classmates in English class most of whom live in urban areas; however, the effectiveness and efficiency of health care reform on rural areas have an extremely close relation with the success of the health care reform on other areas of the United States. Finally, I welcome any questions and comments. I hope that I would get the approval for further research. Hope I will hear from you soon.
Work Cited
Bailey, Jon M. “The Top Ten Rural Issues for Health Care Reform”. Center for Rural Affairs.
March, 2009. Feb. 05, 2010. <http://files.cfra.org/pdf/Ten-Rural-Issues-for-Health-Care-Reform.pdf>.
“What is Different about Rural Health Care”. National Health Care Association. Feb. 05, 2010.
<http://www.ruralhealthweb.org/go/left/about-rural-health/what-s-different-about-rural-health-care>.
Linden, Todd. “Lessons for Rural Leaders”. H&HN: Hospitals & Health Networks. Dec. 2009.
Feb. 08, 2010. <http://0web.ebscohost.com.library.utulsa.edu/ehost/pdf?vid= 5&hid=113&sid=f46f23cf-5a35-4f36-b4f3-2cae83daaca1%40sessionmgr110
