Thomas Bodenheimer

Excellent, comprehensive review of the U.S. healthcare system, and of the various policies that have been implemented and proposed to solve its problems. This is a textbook, and reads like one, though it is definitely more readable that most. Given the complexity of the subject, however, a clearly organized, carefully documented approach is probably a good thing. The authors cover all the bases, they are very clear, and they do not show any overt bias. (All readers might not agree with this: an extensive totting up of the results of our market oriented system does suggest that there is perhaps a better way). Very, very useful to this general reader who simply wanted to improve her understanding of the system.… (mehr)

This is an excellent introduction to a tricky subject: health policy in the United States and abroad. The authors use case study-like sidebars (which I believe are all true, with names and changed) to demonstrate the human impact of policy decisions. The diagrams of who-pays-whom in the various financing schemes are also extremely helpful in navigating a confusing setup. With health care reform so present in the presidential debates, this is an excellent resource for someone who wants to understand health policy at a level deeper than sound bites.… (mehr)