The policy issues affecting healthcare delivery and population health equity include healthcare disparities, the cost of healthcare, and mental health issues

The policy issues affecting healthcare delivery and population health equity include healthcare disparities, the cost of healthcare, and mental health issues. Healthcare disparities are differences in health and healthcare between groups of a population that are linked to social, ethnic, and economical disadvantages. As a result, healthcare disparities exert a higher burden of illness, mortality, disability, or injury on the more disadvantaged groups. Healthcare disparities limit access to quality healthcare and cause unnecessary cost implications on healthcare. The Affordable Care Act (ACA) attempts to address healthcare disparities by increasing access to healthcare coverage and funding community health centers. ACA has affected Advanced registered nurses by increasing financial incentives to nurses who work in medically underserved areas through the National Health Services Corps (Salmond & Echevarria, 2017).