Basics Of The U S Health Care System

Basics of the U.S. Health Care System, Third Edition provides students with a broad, fundamental introduction to the workings of the healthcare industry. Engaging and activities-oriented, the text offers an especially accessible overview of the major concepts of healthcare operations, the role of government, public and private financing, as well as ethical and legal issues. Each chapter features review exercises and Web resources that make studying this complex industry both enjoyable and easy. Students of various disciplines—including healthcare administration, business, nursing, public health, and others—will discover a practical guide that prepares them for professional opportunities in this rapidly growing sector.

Basics of the U.S. Health Care System, Second Edition provides students with a broad, fundamental introduction to the workings of the healthcare industry. Engaging and activities-oriented, the text offers an especially accessible overview of the major concepts of healthcare operations, the role of government, public and private financing, as well as ethical and legal issues. Each chapter features review exercises and Web resources that make studying this complex industry both enjoyable and easy. Students of various disciplines—including healthcare administration, business, nursing, public health, and others—will discover in Basics of the U.S. Health Care System, Second Edition a practical guide that prepares them for professional opportunities in this rapidly growing sector. The Second Edition has been updated substantially to reflect the passage and implementation of the health care reform act of 2010, as well as new information on information technology, Medicare, Medicaid, and much more. Basics of the U.S. Health Care System features: • A new chapter on the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010 • A complete overview of basic concepts of the U.S. healthcare system • Student activities including crossword puzzles and vocabulary reviews in each chapter • Helpful case studies • PowerPoint slides, TestBank, and Instructor’s Manual for instructors • Online flashcards, crosswords, and an interactive glossary for students

Essentials of the U.S. Health Care System is the most concise examination of the basic structures and operations of the U.S. health system. An ideal resource for courses in health policy, allied health, health administration and more, the text clarifies the complexities of health care organization and finance and presents a solid overview of how the various components fit together

In a clear, cohesive format, this book provides a concise survey of the basic structures and operations of the U.S. health system from ists historical origins and resources, to its individual services, cost, and quality.

Health care reform has dominated public discourse over the past several years, and the recent passage of the Affordable Care Act, rather than quell the rhetoric, has sparked even more debate. Donald A. Barr reviews the current structure of the American health care system, describing the historical and political contexts in which it developed and the core policy issues that continue to confront us today. 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. A principal message of the book is the seeming paradox of the quality of health care in this country—on the one hand it is the best medical care system in the world, on the other it is one of the worst among developed countries because of how it is organized. Barr introduces readers to broad cultural issues surrounding health care policy, such as access, affordability, and quality. He discusses specific elements of U.S. health care, including insurance, especially Medicare and Medicaid, the shift to for-profit managed care, the pharmaceutical industry, issues of long-term care, the plight of the uninsured, medical errors, and nursing shortages. The latest edition of this widely adopted text updates the description and discussion of key sectors of America’s health care system in light of the Affordable Care Act.

From the Publisher: Written by the authors of the widely used textbook Delivering Health Care in America: A Systems Approach, this engaging new book gives students the most accessible and concise introduction to US health care available. Essentials of the US Health Care System utilizes a unique "systems" approach that clarifies the complexities of health care organization and finance and presents a solid overview of how the various components fit together. This condensed and simplified version covers basic structures and operations of the US health system-from its historical origins and resources, to its individual services, cost, and quality

The anthrax incidents following the 9/11 terrorist attacks put the spotlight on the nation's public health agencies, placing it under an unprecedented scrutiny that added new dimensions to the complex issues considered in this report. The Future of the Public's Health in the 21st Century reaffirms the vision of Healthy People 2010, and outlines a systems approach to assuring the nation's health in practice, research, and policy. This approach focuses on joining the unique resources and perspectives of diverse sectors and entities and challenges these groups to work in a concerted, strategic way to promote and protect the public's health. Focusing on diverse partnerships as the framework for public health, the book discusses: The need for a shift from an individual to a population-based approach in practice, research, policy, and community engagement. The status of the governmental public health infrastructure and what needs to be improved, including its interface with the health care delivery system. The roles nongovernment actors, such as academia, business, local communities and the media can play in creating a healthy nation. Providing an accessible analysis, this book will be important to public health policy-makers and practitioners, business and community leaders, health advocates, educators and journalists.