Abstract
This
article examines the notions and patterns of power employed in the case of
health policy reformation in the United States of America in 1990s. For the
needs of this paper, a brief analysis of the American healthcare system
background during this period will be provided, since this is an eventful
period concerning health care in the U.S. Additional times prior to this decade
will be analyzed whenever needed for the scope of this paper. Thus, based
mainly on Lukes’ power dimensions concerning (i) decisions and (iii) ideas,
this paper attempts to report on factors and outcomes concerning healthcare
reformation. Especially the third one of the dimensions as provided by Lukes is
of critical importance in this study, since in the healthcare sector one needs
to examine actors, such as health insurance providers, that play a catalytic
role on healthcare policy discourse formation and aim to present the government
as a healthcare reform adversary.
Keywords: power; healthcare reforms; three dimensions power; U.S.; Luke’s power.