Health Policy

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Now in its fourth edition, The Economics of Health Reconsidered presents an argument that still holds true: despite assertions to the contrary, neither economic theory nor evidence shows that reliance on market forces leads to superior outcomes in healthcare systems. Government plays a crucial role in making the healthcare sector not only more equitable but also more efficient. This book reconsiders the field of health economics as it is traditionally taught and practiced. It critically examines economic theory as applied to the health sector and questions the prevailing belief that a competitive healthcare marketplace results in the best outcomes.

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Health services research is a highly multidisciplinary field, including such areas as health administration, health economics, medical sociology, medicine, , political science, public health, and public policy. The Encyclopedia of Health Services Research is the first single reference source to capture the diversity and complexity of the field. With more than 400 entries, these two volumes investigate the relationship between the factors of cost, quality, and access to healthcare and their impact upon medical outcomes such as death, disability, disease, discomfort, and dissatisfaction with care. The Encyclopedia is designed to be an introduction to the various topics of health services research for an audience including undergraduate students, graduate students, and general readers seeking non-technical descriptions of the field and its practices.

This open educational resource (OER) introduces students to foundational characteristics of the U.S. healthcare system. It begins with an overview of the healthcare system that includes a brief history and a description of the current state of health in the U.S. The second chapter describes health delivery systems, including inpatient, outpatient, post-acute, longterm, palliative, and hospice care. An introduction to health insurance in the third chapter will include an overview of basic concepts, private insurance, public insurance, and recent trends. The fourth chapter presents issues related to the triple aim of improving access to care, increasing the quality of care, and lowering the cost of care. The fifth chapter reviews how the government intervenes in healthcare and presents current policy issues related to the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act and value-based contracting. The final chapter on the topic of technology in healthcare provides an overview of health information technology, health information legislation, emerging technologies, and the future of health information technology. Chapter content is supplemented with additional material such as reports, briefs, figures, infographics, definitions, and key terms. Chapters two through six end with a “knowledge check” exercise to actively engage students with the content.

This essential guide for libraries, policy makers, and anyone concerned with health care in America provides information on long term health care spending, abortion, Medicaid and Medicare, health insurance and the uninsured, the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP), and much, much more. Entries include the Medicare Modernization Act, abstinence education, electronic health records, health savings accounts, Plan B, the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), and Project BioShield.

Healthcare in the United States offers a comprehensive examination of the US healthcare system and its development, addressing various challenges related to cost, access, and quality. Using straightforward descriptions, sidebars, case studies, and vignettes, the text illuminates the complex system's organizations, financing, and delivery models. This second edition contains updated data throughout and explores the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on many facets of the healthcare system, including long-term care, population health, and health information technology. It also includes the following new material: New chapters on public health organizations, services, and challenges; the interplay between healthcare laws and ethics; and healthcare funding and financial management of healthcare organizationsExpanded discussions of post-acute care, mental health parity, and health disparities Healthcare in the United States provides future healthcare administrators and clinicians with a thorough understanding of the multifaceted US healthcare system, as well as the conflicting assumptions and expectations that underpin the delivery of healthcare.

Healthcare in the United States: Clinical, Financial, and Operational Dimensions offers an introductory overview of the American healthcare system by exploring its many organizations, populations, professions, structures, financing, and delivery models, as well as their impact. Authors Stephen L. Walston and Kenneth L. Johnson delve into the many conflicting issues related to cost, access, and quality. The book's 14 chapters cover the following and more: A comprehensive review of the health professions and types of healthcare organizations; An exploration of how medical providers are paid; Major challenges currently facing physicians, hospitals, and the pharmaceutical industry; An examination of the long-term and mental healthcare sectors and the increasing demands for their services; The significant role of the government in healthcare, including the influence of politics; The basics of population health, including an in-depth look at how changing social, demographic, and economic conditions in the United States affect healthcare; The connections between health behaviors, health insurance, and health outcomes; Information technology's role in healthcare; A comparison of US healthcare to that in other countries, with a focus on the four basic models on which most healthcare systems are created to enhance and assess students' learning, each of the book's chapters features case studies, thought-provoking questions and assignments, sidebars, and key terms accompanied by definitions. As they read, future healthcare administrators and clinicians will obtain a grounding in the multifaceted US healthcare system, thus enabling them to better address its multiple priorities, controversies, and opportunities.

Overview of Health -- Healthcare Workforce -- Healthcare Settings -- Federal & State Funded Healthcare -- Private Insurance -- Special Populations -- Access Issues in Healthcare -- Cost of Healthcare -- Quality in Healthcare -- Technology Use in Healthcare -- National Healthcare Systems

Health policy in the United States has been shaped by the political, socioeconomic, and ideological environment, with important roles played by public and private actors, as well as institutional and individual entities, in designing the contemporary American healthcare system. Now in a fully updated fifth edition, this book gives expanded attention to pressing issues for our policymakers, including the aging American population, physician shortages, gene therapy, specialty drugs, and the opioid crisis. A new chapter has been added on the Trump administration's failed attempts at repealing and replacing the Affordable Care Act and subsequent attempts at undermining it via executive orders. Authors Kant Patel and Mark Rushefsky address the key problems of healthcare cost, access, and quality through analyses of Medicare, Medicaid, the Veterans Health Administration, and other programs, and the ethical and cost implications of advances in healthcare technology. Each chapter concludes with discussion questions and a comprehensive reference list.

Future healthcare leaders: Do you have an obligation to serve the common good? If your answer to this ethical question is yes, then you need a working knowledge of health policy. An understanding of how policy decisions are made gives healthcare leaders a knowledge base from which they can turn what once appeared to be limitations or obstacles into opportunities to facilitate better access to care, improve the quality of care, and more effectively manage costs. Leaders who have a firm grasp on the policymaking process can advocate for their patients, their organizations, and their communities. This revamped version of the classic textbook originally authored by Beaufort B. Longest, Jr., links policy concepts to practical applications and real healthcare outcomes. It covers formulation, implementation, and modification of health policymaking at both the federal and state levels, while giving readers insight into real-life political results and details of on-the-ground policy decisions. Highlights include: a new chapter on federalism and the role of the states; Policy Snapshots at the beginning of each of the book's sections that offer brief, true stories of a significant policy event or an opportunity for students to envision their future selves as health advocates; a thoroughly revised and updated chapter on how the courts shape health policy; a rich array of new or updated examples drawn from actual policymaking events, in addition to new graphics and sidebars; updated appendixes reorganized to provide easy access to examples germane to the topic at hand; and an epilogue highlighting federal and state policy challenges posed by the coronavirus pandemic of 2020.

Research Perspectives on the Role of Informatics in Health Policy and Management focuses on the advancements of Health Information Science in order to solve current and forthcoming problems in the health sector. Managers, policy makers, researchers, and Masters and PhD students in healthcare related fields will use this book to provide necessary insight on healthcare delivery and also to inspire new ideas and practices to effectively provide patients with the greatest quality care.

Paying for Health Care -- Access to Health Care -- Paying Health Care Providers -- How Health Care is Organized: Primary, Secondary, & Tertiary Care / Health Delivery Systems -- The Health Care Workforce & the Education of Health Professionals -- Painful Versus Painless Cost Control -- Mechanisms for Controlling Costs -- Quality of Health Care -- Prevention of Illness -- Long-Term Care -- Medical Ethics & Rationing of Health Care -- Health Care in Four Nations -- Health Care Reform & National Health Insurance -- Conflict & Change in America's Health Care System