How much does the average American spend on health care? Are costs and
quality of health care equal across US states? Do Americans get good
value for money spent on health services compared with citizens of other
developed nations? Are current health spending trends sustainable
through the 21st century? All too often, policymakers and the public
alike form judgments about health care based on myths and
misconceptions. A common refrain is that US health care is too expensive
-- both in costs to the taxpayer and costs to the consumer. But few
realize that despite its lack of national health insurance, the United
States leads nearly all other industrialized nations in the share of
health spending paid by third parties, whether public or private.
Americans, therefore, are less sensitive to health care prices than
citizens of other nations. American Health Economy Illustrated sifts
through nearly a century of data to examine -- and debunk -- the most
common myths about the US health care system. With an unbiased,
just-the-facts approach and hundreds of color illustrations, Christopher
J. Conover assesses the strengths and weaknesses of the current system
and evaluates whether current health cost trends are sustainable.
Wide-ranging, accessible, and provocative, this book is a must-read for
anyone concerned with the future of American health care.
