Solving problems in the health care system is a matter of cooperation between the government and the departmental organizations responsible for the local implementation of medical recommendations. Smoking affects not only the health of smokers but also the health of those around them. In 1998, the U.S. government filed a lawsuit against the tobacco industry, after which the settlement agreement (MSA) was adopted (Swanson, 2018). It strengthened the tobacco control policy and made it more targeted.
Within the first decade of the agreement, the compensation received was distributed. Funds were used to offset health care costs and to reduce smoking rates. Despite the strict framework of the deal, tobacco industry marketing campaigns continued to stimulate teenagers’ interest in smoking and spread the word through newsletters (Galinato & Hong, 2018). The government decided to toughen tobacco control policies, so there were increases in cigarette prices and increased education about the effects of smoking. Smoking advocates criticized the government’s lawsuit because it was a manifestation of freedom and human rights restriction. In addition, the MSA’s claim undermined the credibility of pricing in general because it was pricing products in an ultra-competitive way (Swanson, 2018). It is probably true, and the government should be more cautious about raising product prices, especially healthcare.
The government must consider risk factors and various pieces of evidence to influence health care. Its primary role is to regulate health care management mechanisms adequately. Creating summary reports and analyzing the evidence makes it possible to estimate future medical costs and adjust the budget. In addition, new laws and regulations can reflect the reality of medicine. Interest groups “lobbyists” are also at work here (Counts, Taylor, Willison & Galea, 2021). They allow for better organization of information to address lawmakers. Their main task is to intervene and change some governance indicators (How do interest groups influence…, 2022). In health care, lobbyists positively influence the regulation of legislation because they provide versatile and necessary information to the government.
References
Counts, N. Z., Taylor, L. A., Willison, C. E. & Galea S. (2021). Healthcare lobbying on upstream social determinants of health in the US.Preventive Medicine, 153. Web.
Galinato, G. I., & Hong, Y. A. (2018). Tobacco education program spending and tobacco use among adolescents. Journal of Agricultural and Resource Economics, 43(3), 321–345.
How do interest groups influence health policy? (2022). Web.
Swanson, D. A. (2018). Tobacco: Making ground for an international crop. In Beyond the Mountains: Commodifying Appalachian Environments (pp. 138–157). University of Georgia Press.