Written by a well-respected health and public policy expert, this book provides a comprehensive exploration of the under-appreciated role of public health policy in the United States' medical care industry.
The book offers students:
. an introduction to the fundamentals of health policy, with comparative perspectives from other countries;
. analysis of major health care programmes, including Medicare, Medicaid, the Affordable Care Act and regulatory programs;
. reflections on issues around access, quality, cost, and the ethics of provision.
By drawing comparisons between the US and other countries, it deepens our understanding of health policy in the US, where it is headed next, and what it might learn from other systems.

1. Introduction: Images of American Healthcare

2. American Healthcare in Comparative Perspective

3. Medicare: Public Health Insurance for the Elderly

4. Medicaid and CHIP: Medical Care for the Medically Indigent

5. Affordable Care Act: A Major Step Forward

6. Regulatory Policies in Healthcare

7. Access to Healthcare

8. Healthcare Costs and Cost Containment

9. The Quality of Healthcare: How Good Is It?

10. What's Next? Continuing Health Reform after the Affordable Care Act