Introduction to U.S. Health Policy: The Organization, Financing, and Delivery of Health Care in America

by Donald A. Barr

Home to the world's most advanced medical practices, the United States spends more on health care than any other country. At the same time, treatment is harder to get in the United States than in most other industrialized nations. Benchmark statistics such as infant mortality and life expectancy reveal a society that is not nearly as healthy as it could be. This comprehensive analysis introduces the various organizations and institutions that make the U.S. health care system work—or fail to work, as the case may be. It identifies historical, social, political, and economic forces that shape this system and create policy dilemmas that are all too familiar. Donald A. Barr examines the structure of American health care and insurance, including Medicare and Medicaid. He addresses the shift to for-profit managed care and how it may affect the delivery of care; the pharmaceutical industry and the impact of pharmaceutical policy; issues of long-term care; and the plight of the uninsured. The new edition also covers recent developments in areas such as prescription drugs, medical errors, and nursing shortages.

Genres: Medicine, Health Care, Nonfiction

320 pages, Paperback

First published November 11, 2001

Reviews

[Lisa Cottingham]

Aquinas

[Leland William · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read this is you are interested in gaining some perspective on how the healthcare system in the United States (and Canada) functions.

This book is surprisingly accessible, don't be put off by the academic trappings or the text! Barr is an excellent guide for beginners who want a better grasp of health policy.

This one took me a while to read and while I was reading it (or I guess, not reading it) I would often dread diving back into what I perceived were its dense, graph-laden pages. These fears were unfounded. Every time I picked the book up I found something interesting to marvel at.

[Ed · Rating 5 out of 5]

See review at http://edsteffes.wordpress.com/2012/1...

[Siran · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is surprisingly an easy-read! Totally enjoying it for ~10min every morning!

Wondering if there's an equally great introduction book to Chinese Health Policy...hmm.

[Suzanne Yoder · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great book if you want to get into how our healthcare system came to be. This edition adds information about the ACA's impact on all facets of care. Good academic read.