Changing the U.S. Health Care System: Key Issues in Health Services Policy and Management (Jossey Bass/Aha Press Series) [Hardcover]

Ronald M. Andersen (Author), Thomas H. Rice (Author), Gerald F. Kominski (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0787954047 | ISBN-13: 978-0787954048 | Publication Date: March 29, 2001 | Edition: 2

Explore in-depth the possibilities for public health and policy reform. The second edition of Changing the U.S. Health Care System is a thoroughly revised and updated compendium of the most current thought on three key components of health care policy-improving access, controlling costs, and ensuring quality. Written by a stellar panel of experts in the field of health care policy, this second edition highlights the most recent research relevant to health policy issues. This valuable resource also includes analyses of current health care policy challenges and presents a wide-range of viable solutions. In addition, the book contains an overview of the opportunities in the growing fields of public health and health policy.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"The authoritative book on the U.S. health care system. Any student, scholar, executive, or policymaker who wants to understand a particular phenomenon should consult it." —Deborah A. Freund, vice chancellor and provost, professor of public administration, Syracuse University

"Under one cover can be found the basic data and research relevant to virtually all important health policy issues, as well sophisticated analytic material on current problems and their range of possible solutions." —Steven A. Schroeder, M.D., president and CEO, The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation

"The first edition was exceptionally successful with our MPH and MHA introductory course on the U.S. delivery system. The second edition promises to be better yet." —James C. Romeis, professor of health services research, department of community and family medicine, Saint Louis University

"We all know the problems of our health care system, but we know far less about how to solve them. True to its title, Changing the U.S. Health Care System steps into this void, offering comprehensive information and policy alternatives for addressing these complex problems." —David Grembowski, professor, department of health services, University of Washington

"As in the earlier edition, this book provides the reader with a remarkably comprehensive assessment of the key contemporary policy and management issues facing America's health care system. A wonderful map to guide readers through the challenges and complexities of our health care system." —Howard S. Zukerman, director, Center for Health Management Research professor, department of health services, School of Public Health and Community Medicine, University of Washington

"This superb book provides a thorough and authoritative overview of the complex US healthcare system." (Divine Inc (formerly Doody's publishing), July 2002)

Review

Praise for Prior Editions of Changing the U.S. Health Care System

"This superb book provides a thorough and authoritative overview of the complex U.S. health care system. There are excellent chapters on such diverse topics as policies to extend . . .coverage (a brief history of health insurance), measuring health care costs, pharmaceutical prices, evaluating the quality of care, and medicare reform. . . . The topics and chapters are so well conceived that the material remains highly informative and relevant despite [changes in the industry]. This outstanding, comprehensive resource on the U.S. health care system is sure to be of great value to students, educators, and scholars."
—Eugene C. Rich, M.D.(Creighton University Medical Center), in Doody Enterprises Book Review Service

"The authoritative book on the U.S.health care system. Any student, scholar, executive, or policymaker who wants to understand a particular phenomenon should consult it."
—Deborah A. Freund, vice chancellor and provost, professor of public administration, Syracuse University

"Under one cover can be found the basic data and research relevant to virtually all important health policy issues, as well sophisticated analytic material on current problems and their range of possible solutions."
—Steven A. Schroeder, M.D., president and CEO, The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation --This text refers to an alternate Hardcover edition.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 608 pages
• Publisher: Jossey-Bass; 2 edition (March 29, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0787954047
• ISBN-13: 978-0787954048
• Product Dimensions: 9.4 x 7.2 x 1.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.5 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #728,543 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Many questions and issues, few answers..., May 2, 2007

By 

Thomas Duff "Duffbert" (Portland, OR United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Changing the U.S. Health Care System: Key Issues in Health Services Policy and Management (JOSSEY-BASS HEALTH SERIES) (Hardcover)

As I work for a health insurance company, I felt that I would benefit from reading Changing the U.S. Health Care System: Key Issues in Health Services Policy and Management by Ronald M. Andersen, Thomas H. Rice, and Gerald F. Kominski. Unfortunately, it was not what I was expecting. I was hoping for opinions and options on reforming health care. What I found was numerous stats, a lot of issues, and not too many answers.

Contents:
Part 1 - Access To Health Care: Improving Access to Care in America - Individual and Contextual Indicators; Ethnic Disparities in Health Status; Disparities in Health Care; Public Policies to Extend Health Care Coverage
Part 2 - Costs of Health Care: Measuring Health Care Costs and Trends; Containing Health Care Costs; Controlling Pharmaceutical Prices and Expenditures
Part 3 - Quality Of Health Care: Measuring Outcomes and Health-Related Quality of Life; Evaluating the Quality of Care; Public Release of Information on Quality; Health Care Information Systems; Performance Measurement of Nursing Care
Part 4 - Special Populations: Long-Term Care and the Elderly Population; AIDS in the Twenty-First Century - Challenges for Health Services and Public Health; Health Reform for Children and Families; Mental Health Services and Policy Issues; Women's Health - Key Issues in Access to Health Insurance Coverage and to Services Among Nonelderly Women; Homeless Persons
Part 5 - Directions for Change: Managed Care and the Growth of Competition; Medicare Reform; Public Health and Personal Health Services; The Continuing Issue of Medical Malpractice Liability; Ethical Issues in Public Health and Health Services
Index

I believe that most people would agree that the health care system in America is broken. Changes have to be made, as rising rates are making it harder for people to find affordable health care coverage. What I was hoping for in this book was a number of serious discussions on different approaches such as universal care, single-payer systems, etc. The chapters in the book are all written by a number of different people, making it a compilation of sorts. Nearly all the chapters go deeply into statistics and numbers, showing how population group x is affected by disease y in z percentages. From the standpoint of policymakers or actuarials, these numbers are necessary to know the extent of the problem. But I felt as if most of the discussion stopped there. Many issues were raised, and nearly any hint of a solution was watered down with all the reasons why it might not work or have the opposite effect of what was intended. Some of the sections were more informational than others, such as the chapter on Medicare reform. Learning the history of how Medicare came about, as well as under what assumptions, makes it easier to understand why the system functions as it does. But again, everything ended on a note of "things need to change", but not much was offered as an alternative...

Readers who need a heavy statistical or academic look at health care issues will find it here. People like myself who are more practical in nature will find the material rather plodding and dry. My overall conclusion after reading this was that there are no easy answers, and any solution will significantly hurt some portion of the current system. There's not enough money and resources for everyone to have unlimited access to the best health care available. And for a society that's used to immediate gratification, that'll be a hard sell...

2 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Review, April 7, 2008

By 

Ashley Schneider "grad student" - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Changing the U.S. Health Care System: Key Issues in Health Services Policy and Management (JOSSEY-BASS HEALTH SERIES) (Hardcover)

Very good condition, interesting information better to use as a refernce then actually reading through from start to finish.

0 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Never got the book...., October 1, 2010

By 

Debbie - See all my reviews

This review is from: Changing the U.S. Health Care System: Key Issues in Health Services Policy and Management (JOSSEY-BASS HEALTH SERIES) (Hardcover)

Unfortunately, I never received this book from the Storage Chest... maybe it's still in storage?! My card was charged $42.48... now I am "out" for that amount! When I went to track the order with the order #, it stated that no such order could be located. I tried 3 times to track it. I ordered the book on August 30, 2010 with an expected delivery date of September 22, 2010. I would like to be refunded. I have never had this problem before, and I hope that I don't in the future. Fortunately, I have been doing OK in my class without the book! (Going on line for certain chapters.)

-With Regrets
Debbie