"This highly readable text gives a broad but detailed picture of how health care is organized and dispensed in the United States. It considers the problems of, and possible solutions for, cost control, long-term care, quality control, ethical issues, and insurance programs. Clinicians are likely to find the text attractive because of its supportive flowcharts and its frequent use of specific, concrete examples."
Annals of Internal Medicine *
"Well documented and highly readable."
National Organization of Nurse Practitioner Facilities Newsletter *

"One of the more interesting, readable texts in health policy to appear in recent years."
American Journal of Health System Pharmacy *

"The title doesn't do the book justice. It's not only about health care policy and its implications, it's about the health care system, applied to highly clinically relevant situations . . . it provides an unobstructed view of the complicated health care system."
Advance/PA*

"Goes a long way toward helping readers understand how the health care system worked in the past, how it is changing, and how it might work under different scenarios in the future."
Journal of Health Politics, Policy and Law *

The leading text in the field, Understanding Health Policy covers fundamental topics such as cost containment, health insurance, managed care, and physician and hospital payment. The authors bring to life important policy issues by providing extensive case histories that pinpoint individual encounters within the health care system.

Features:
* Updated throughout to reflect recent changes in insurance coverage, health care expenditures, and health care organization
* Expanded to include discussion of the defined contribution approach to cost control, medical errors, and new approaches to quality improvement and the uncertain future facing managed care
* Extensive case histories
* Brand new chapter on the Health Care Work Force, including sections on physicians, registered nurses, advanced practice nurses, and pharmacists and on women and minorities in the health professions
* Includes "Questions and Discussion Topics" for classroom or individual study

*Of earlier edition
About the Author
Thomas S. Bodenheimer, MD, MPH, University of California, San Francisco Kevin Grumbach, MD, University of California, San Francisco

Receiver of this book - I hope you will enjoy it and make a little journal entry! When you are done with it, perhaps you will send it on its way. Check out bookcrossing - it's a fun community of readers!