NURS FPX 4065 Assessment 3 Ethical and Policy Factors in Care Coordination
NURS FPX 4065 Assessment 3 Ethical and Policy Factors in Care Coordination Student Name Capella University NURS-FPX 4065 Instructor’s Name October, 2026 Ethical and Policy Factors in Care Coordination Slide: 01 Hi, my name is ……, Today, I will be discussing the factors affecting care coordination, as it relates to addressing gaps in the delivery of health care services at the Sunrise Community Health Center. Hello, I’m Sameera. Today, I will discuss factors that affect care coordination and help fill gaps in health care service delivery at the Sunrise Community Health Center. Slide: 02 In order to properly carry out care coordination, it is important to improve the health outcomes for patients. Care coordination is crucial for vulnerable populations that may face barriers to accessing health care services. Many healthcare policies have an impact on Sunrise Community Health Center’s service delivery, funding, and access to care. Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA), Medicaid expansion programs, Patient-Centered Medical Homes (PCMH’s), and Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs) are among the policies that are helpful in supporting care coordination in the community (Baten et al., 2024). These types of health care policies improve the level of coordination among health care providers and also improve patients’ access to care. There are, however, a number of ethical issues that arise, including fairness in the provision of resources, the allocation of limited resources, and providing equitable access to care for those who receive care. Health care providers such as nurses, care coordinators, and the like, will need to evaluate the impact of government policies on the provision of patient-centered care services and report to their organization. Slide: 03 Effect of Governmental Policies on Coordination of Care Healthcare policies affect the way co-ordination is done in community organizations. At my practicum site, in Sunrise Community Health Center, these government healthcare policies greatly impact staffing, referral systems, and preventive care programs. Those with chronic conditions or complex health issues need to be particularly well-coordinated. A systematic review indicates that the coordinated care model can lower hospital readmission rates for high-risk patients by almost 15 – 20 % and enhance health outcomes (Dhaliwal & Dang, 2024). Government policies have an impact on health care delivery, and it is important for health care providers to be aware of and use these policies to ensure timely and appropriate delivery of patient care. Slide: 04 Affordable Care Act The Affordable Care Act (ACA) is one of the most influential healthcare policies that has impacted care coordination in the United States (U.S.). The ACA increased health insurance coverage and introduced a new model of care for health insurance providers, such as the PCMH and ACO that promote collaboration between health care practitioners (Department of Health & Human Services, 2024). Since the law was enacted, the ACA has increased health insurance coverage in the U.S. to over 40 million people, and so has enhanced access to preventive and primary care services (Kaiser Family Foundation, 2024). This approach to care at Sunrise Community Health Center involves working together with the nurse, doctor, and social worker to get better outcomes for the patient and provide seamless care. Slide: 05 Medicaid Expansion Program Medicaid expansion is one of the biggest factors in care coordination affecting low-income care recipients. Since the passage of the ACA, numerous states have started to make a series of changes to their Medicaid eligibility requirements to increase the healthcare coverage of low-income individuals. There are about 90 million people enrolled in Medicaid in the country (Kaiser Family Foundation, 2025). The increased access to care provided by Medicaid has added more pressure to the care delivery teams. With their volume of patients, care coordinators at Sunrise Community Health Center are doing more than ever to coordinate referrals and support the healthcare journey for patients and their families, sometimes with limited resources. Slide: 06 State Immunization Requirements One of the other key considerations in the public health policy realm that can impact care coordination is the existence of state immunization requirements. State immunization requirements under public health policy contribute to the promotion of preventive healthcare and help to prevent the spread of infectious diseases. At the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, many healthcare providers became key participants in vaccine distribution activities, educating patients, and providing subsequent support and care. According to reports, a total of around 670 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines have been given to people in the United States (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2025). All of these vaccine doses were part of coordinated, effective preventive health care services that were provided by several States and healthcare systems, with the goal of supporting the health of the communities they serve. Effective public health policies work together and effectively, as illustrated, to lead to the provision of effective care coordination systems across the healthcare system. Slide: 07 Ethical and Policy Implications in Care Coordination Healthcare policies often present challenges in the field for workers in care coordination to deliver equitable and efficient care. The ACA, which made health care more available, has set up a scenario where there are still significant service delivery gaps for the most vulnerable groups; for example, it has been well documented that a large number of undocumented immigrants are uninsured. Around 45% are estimated to have no form of health insurance coverage, resulting in extreme concerns over finding equity and justice in access to health services (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services – Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation, 2021). When making decisions at the patient level, nurses must balance these decisions with the implications of the ethical principles of non-maleficence, beneficence, autonomy, and justice when considering such situations. Care coordination staff are often faced with difficult ethical choices when they have to allocate scarce resources. Likewise, other policy measures such as Medicaid expansion have increased access to health care services, though they have also resulted in problems at a system level, such as provider scarcity and the slow pace of service





