Health policy in the United States has been shaped by the political, socioeconomic, and ideological environment, with important roles played by public and private actors, as well as institutional and individual entities, in designing the contemporary American healthcare system. Now in a fully updated fifth edition, this book gives expanded attention to pressing issues for our policymakers, including the aging American population, physician shortages, gene therapy, specialty drugs, and the opioid crisis. A new chapter has been added on the Trump administration's failed attempts at repealing and replacing the Affordable Care Act and subsequent attempts at undermining it via executive orders.

Authors Kant Patel and Mark Rushefsky address the key problems of healthcare cost, access, and quality through analyses of Medicare, Medicaid, the Veterans Health Administration, and other programs, and the ethical and cost implications of advances in healthcare technology. Each chapter concludes with discussion questions and a comprehensive reference list. This textbook will be required reading for courses on health and healthcare policy, as well as all those interested in the ways in which American healthcare has evolved over time.

This fully updated fifth edition gives expanded attention to contemporary issues including the aging of the American population, physician shortages, gene therapy, specialty drugs, the opiod crisis, and the Trump administration's failed attempts at repealing and replacing the Affordable Care Act.

Part I: Healthcare Politics and Policy1. Healthcare Politics2. Healthcare Policy in the United StatesPart II: Government Safety Net Programs3. Medicaid and Children’s Health Insurance Programs: The Poor and the Disabled4. Medicare: The Elderly5. Healthcare for American Indians, Alaska Natives, and the Veterans6. Falling Through the Safety Net: The Disadvantaged Part III: The High Cost of American Healthcare System7. Healthcare Costs, Expenditures, and Cost Containment Part IV: Contemporary Challenges in American Healthcare8. Contemporary Legal and Ethical Issues in Healthcare9. Contemporary Challenges Confronting American HealthcarePart V: The Continuing Struggle for Healthcare Reform in the United States10. The Affordable Care Act: Repeal and Replace and the Future of Healthcare