This is the first reference book to provide a detailed assessment of the Affordable Care Act, explaining the realities and myths surrounding one of the most divisive political struggles in recent U.S. history. The Affordable Care Act—also known as Obamacare—is one of the most controversial and politicized topics in the United States today. This timely book examines prominent claims about the legislation's drafting, debate, passage, and implementation, and discerns what is true and false about the law. Each of the text's eight chapters delves into the common beliefs, misinterpretations, and myths surrounding the act, tracing the history of the assertion and supporting or challenging its veracity through nonpartisan research and analyses. Chapters begin with an objective look at the claim's origins—with a brief focus on the person or group that conceived it and why—then set about clarifying or debunking it using evidence from research studies and reports from authoritative sources. Entries feature primary documents, a further reading section, and tables and graphs. Topics include the impact on health care costs for families, states, and the federal government; the effect of the Affordable Care Act on employer-sponsored insurance; and the role of health status on coverage under the Affordable Care Act.

Disparities in healthcare arise when there is an imbalance between opportunities to achieve optimal healthcare with access, education, and financial means. However, the difficult subject of health disparities in healthcare and its historical origins demonstrate that culture and race may contribute to health crises of minority groups within the United States. Educating vulnerable populations on making lifestyle modifications and reducing stress without educating healthcare professionals about increasing their awareness of hidden biases, prejudgment, and discrimination, will allow health disparities to remain. Examining and Solving Health Disparities in the United States: Emerging Research and Opportunities is a critical reference book that provides discussion on the topic of inequities in healthcare that impact health disparities and serves to increase awareness on these issues. The author particularly explores health disparities from a unifying perspective that supports the understanding of why health disparities occur and how an increase in the awareness, education, and confrontation of discriminatory acts can help make changes at the organizational and societal levels. Covering topics that include cultural clashes, equity, healthcare delivery, and healthcare accessibility, this book is essential for government officials, policymakers, medical administrators, medical professionals, medical boards and directors, researchers, academicians, and students involved in gender studies, cultural studies, social justice, socioeconomics, ethics and law, government, medicine, public health, psychology, sociology, and more.

Healthcare economics is a topic of increasing importance due to the substantial changes that are expected to radically alter the way Americans obtain and finance healthcare. Understanding Healthcare Economics: Managing Your Career in an Evolving Healthcare System provides an evidence-based framework to help practitioners comprehend the changes already underway in our nation’s healthcare system. It presents important economic facts and explains the economic concepts needed to understand the implications of these facts. It also summarizes the results of recent empirical studies on access, cost, and quality problems in today’s healthcare system. Explaining what the term healthcare crisis means, the book evaluates key reforms designed to ameliorate the crisis. It examines emerging trends in the healthcare delivery system to provide a clear understanding of the implications of recently implemented policy solutions. It also illustrates how public- and private-sector initiatives are working to reduce cost increases by fundamentally altering the systems for delivery of care through managed care organizations, accountable care organizations, and patient-centered medical homes. The text identifies the pressures for change and examines six emerging strategies that can help boost efficiencies in the healthcare system. It addresses the macro-economic problems, such as the impact of changing demographics, as well as the micro-economic problems, such as lifestyle choices on healthcare costs. Demystifying the terminology, facts, and types of changes that are currently underway, the book provides you with the understanding of healthcare economics you will need to identify viable strategies for adapting to the changes on the horizon.

A one-stop resource covering American health care and the challenges it faces In the newly revised Second Edition of Health Care in the United States: Organization, Management, and Policy, distinguished health and organizational researcher Dr. Howard P. Greenwald delivers a comprehensive exploration of the US health care system and the challenges its practitioners, professionals, and consumers face. From organization to management, financing, and evaluation, this book discusses the critical concepts, trends, and features of this sprawling set of interlocking systems. It also examines the historical origins of modern health care and how it delivers services to over 300 million Americans. Readers will discover: Modern controversies in American health care that animate political debate and discussion, including the Affordable Care Act. Discussions of the health care labor force, as well as its history, background, and crucial challenges. Possible future directions for US health care, including preventive medicine, new policy initiatives, and proposals for reform. Written for students and professionals working in or studying health care management, health policy, public health, medical sociology, or anthropology, social work, or political science, this latest edition of Health Care in the United States is also a fascinating read for members of the general public curious about one of the most important services they'll ever interact with.

The third edition of A Handbook for the Study of Mental Health presents a comprehensive review of the sociology of mental health.

Evidence from the public health sector demonstrates that health care is only one of the determinants of health, which also include genes, behavior, social factors, and the built environment. These contextual elements are key to understanding why health care organizations are motivated to focus beyond their walls and to consider and respond in unprecedented ways to the social needs of patients, including transportation needs. In June 2016 the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine held a joint workshop to explore partnerships, data, and measurement at the intersection of the health care and transportation sectors. This publication summarizes the presentations and discussions from the workshop.

This authoritative handbook reviews the most widely-used methods for studying the use and abuse of alcohol and illegal drugs. Its thorough coverage spans the range of quantitative, qualitative, and mixed-method approaches to documenting and measuring the complex psychological, behavioral, and physical experience of substance misuse and dependence, to ensure valid, useful results. Experts discuss special issues and considerations for conducting ethical research with specialized populations, including youth, inmates, and the LGBT community. Throughout these chapters, contributors demonstrate the multidisciplinary nature of substance abuse research, with emphasis on professional ethics and the critical role of research in developing best practices and effective policy for prevention and treatment. Among the topics covered: · Transdisciplinary research perspective: a theoretical framework for substance abuse research · Longitudinal methods in substance use research · Considerations in blending qualitative and quantitative components in substance abuse research · The use of biological measures in social research on drug misuse · Using surveys to study substance use behavior · Applications of GIS to inform substance abuse research and interventions · Evaluating substance use prevention and treatment programs Research Methods in the Study of Substance Abuse is an essential resource for health services and public health professionals, policymakers, and researchers working and training in the field of addiction. It encourages the rigor and understanding necessary to address widespread social and public health concerns.