Within our health care system there are a number of stakeholders that influence the health care policy development process and ultimately help shape our health care policies.

• Government (primarily federal and state governments) and interest groups like the American Medical Association, AARP, and the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation can have a direct impact on the outcome of the type of health care we receive.
• Patients (the largest consumers of health care) are stakeholders in the healthcare system, and the needs and wants of the public also drive the decisions made by healthcare decision-makers.

Research the main stakeholders in the health care policy development process.

Select one of the main stakeholders at the government level (federal or state), a professional organization, or an interest group.

• Identify the stakeholder and their level in the policy development process.
• Describe their role in the policy development process.
• Describe why the stakeholder identified is important in the policy development process.
• Describe the impact the selected stakeholder has on the policy development process.