Longest's Health Policymaking in the United States

Future healthcare leaders: Do you have an obligation to serve the common good? If your answer to this ethical question is yes, then you need a working knowledge of health policy. An understanding of how policy decisions are made gives healthcare leaders a knowledge base from which they can turn what once appeared to be limitations or obstacles into opportunities to facilitate better access to care, improve the quality of care, and more effectively manage costs. Leaders who have a firm grasp on the policymaking process can advocate for their patients, their organizations, and their communities. This revamped version of the classic textbook originally authored by Beaufort B. Longest, Jr., links policy concepts to practical applications and real healthcare outcomes. It covers formulation, implementation, and modification of health policymaking at both the federal and state levels, while giving readers insight into real-life political results and details of on-the-ground policy decisions. Highlights include: a new chapter on federalism and the role of the states; Policy Snapshots at the beginning of each of the book’s sections that offer brief, true stories of a significant policy event or an opportunity for students to envision their future selves as health advocates; a thoroughly revised and updated chapter on how the courts shape health policy; a rich array of new or updated examples drawn from actual policymaking events, in addition to new graphics and sidebars; updated appendixes reorganized to provide easy access to examples germane to the topic at hand; and an epilogue highlighting federal and state policy challenges posed by the coronavirus pandemic of 2020. Let author Michael R. Meacham guide you through health policy as a process. With a background in policy, law, healthcare leadership, and academia, he enables students to understand both the big picture and the small, but important, details.

Michael R. Meacham, JD, MPH, is associate professor in the Department of Healthcare Leadership and Management at the Medical University of South Carolina and serves on the board of directors and executive committee of the Association of University Programs in Health Administration (AUPHA). Previously, he served as director of health system development for Connecticut’s Office of Health Care Access, as vice president for integrated health services at Eastern Connecticut Health Network, and as associate professor and director of the master of health administration (MHA) program at The Pennsylvania State University. He was also elected to serve in the Kansas House of Representatives for four terms and was a fellow of the Commission on the Accreditation of Healthcare Management Education. He serves as a consultant to MHA programs on the accreditation process and advises healthcare organizations and leaders on strategic planning, health policy, career development, and change-oriented leadership. He is the author of a professional development book, coauthor of two healthcare management textbooks, and editor of a recently published history of AUPHA.