Main description:

For introductory courses in Public Health and US Health System/Health Policy intended for community college students and lower-division four-year students enrolled in allied health programs.

An engaging, easy-to-follow introduction to US health care

The United States Health Care System: Combining Business, Health, and Delivery, is the most readable, student-friendly overview of the US healthcare system. Written simply and informally, it focuses on breadth rather than non-essential depth, giving even inexperienced students the knowledge they need to succeed. The unique approach illuminates the realities of the business side of healthcare as well as the practicalities of the delivery of healthcare. It addresses these questions: "What is this business called healthcare?" "How do we pay for healthcare?" "Who provides healthcare?" "Where and how is healthcare provided?" and "What else is included?" as well as related issues ranging from pharmaceuticals to research and prevention. To provide readers with the most up-to-date information, the Third Edition encompasses the many changes that have occurred both in healthcare and in the United States since the last edition was published.

Contents:

PART ONE: OVERVIEW AND PAYMENT
1. Health and Care in America
2. The Business Side of Health Care
3. The Payment Process: Insurance and Third-Party Payers
4. The Payment Process: Government Payment Programs
PART TWO: EMPLOYMENT IN HEALTH CARE
5. Health Care Providers: Physicians and Nurses
6. Other Clinical and Non-Clinical Health Care Providers
PART THREE: THE DELIVERY SYSTEMS
7. Offices, Clinics, and Hospitals
8. Aging in America
9. Mental Health Services: A Combination of Systems
10. The Public Health System: The Government's Role
PART FOUR: HEALTH CARE INDUSTRY AND ISSUES
11. Medical Technology, Pharmaceuticals, and Pharmacological Research
12. Health Care Research and Prevention
13. Cultural Competency, Health Literacy, and Health Care Ethics
14. International Health Care