Health Policy Issues: An Economic Perspective

Like its predecessors, the third edition of Health Policy Issues: An Economic Perspective will help readers understand the issues underlying the politics and economics of health services. This policy primer uses an economic approach to explain the forces pressing for change in healthcare, as well as why the health system has evolved to its current state.

Paul J. Feldstein has been a professor and Robert Gumbiner Chair in Health Care Management at the Graduate School of Management, University of California, Irvine since 1987. Professor Feldstein has written six books and more than 60 articles on health care.

List of Figures

ix

List of Tables

xv

Preface

xvii

The Rise in Medical Expenditures

1

(12)

How Much Should We Spend on Medical Care?

13

(12)

Do More Medical Expenditures Produce Better Health?

25

(12)

In Whose Interest Does the Physician Act?

37

(10)

Rationing Medical Services

47

(10)

How Much Health Insurance Should Everyone Have?

57

(10)

Why Are Those Who Most Need Health Insurance Least Able to Buy It?

67

(12)

Medicare

79

(18)

Medicaid

97

(12)

How Does Medicare Pay Physicians?

109

(12)

Does a Physician Surplus Exist?

121

(16)

The Changing Practice of Medicine

137

(12)

The Malpractice Crisis

149

(14)

Do Nonprofit Hospitals Behave Differently than For-profit Hospitals?

163

(12)

Competition Among Hospitals: Does It Raise or Lower Costs?

175

(12)

Cost Shifting

187

(12)

Can Price Controls Limit Medical Expenditure Increases?

199

(10)

Managed Care Competition

209

(18)

How Will the Internet Change Health Care?

227

(16)

American Competitiveness and Rising Health Costs

243

(10)

Why Is Getting into Medical School So Difficult?

253

(10)

The Shortage of Nurses

263

(14)

The High Price of Prescription Drugs

277

(18)

Ensuring Safety and Efficacy of New Drugs: Too Much of a Good Thing?

295

(18)

Why Are Prescription Drugs Less Expensive Overseas?

313

(14)

How Should a Medicare Prescription Drug Benefit Be Designed?

327

(18)

Should Kidneys and Other Organs Be Bought and Sold?

345

(10)

The Role of Government in Medical Care

355

(12)

Medical Research, Medical Education, Alcohol Consumption, and Pollution: Who Should Pay?

367

(10)

The Canadian Health Care System

377

(16)

Employer-mandated National Health Insurance

393

(12)

National Health Insurance: Which Approach and Why?

405

(12)

Financing Long-term Care

417

(14)

The Politics of Health Care Reform

431

(12)

Appendix: Discussion Questions

443

(14)

Glossary

457

(12)

Index

469

(14)

About the Author

483

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Health Policy Issues: An Economic Perspective

Summary

Author Biography

Table of Contents

Supplemental Materials