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.
