This book deals with various facets of the human right to health: its normative profile as a universal right, current political and legal conflicts and contextualized implementation in different healthcare systems. The authors come from different countries and disciplines - law, political science, ethics, medicine etc. - and bring together a broad variety of academic and practical perspectives. The volume contains selected contributions of the international conference "The Right to Health - an Empty Promise?" held in September 2015 in Berlin and organized by the Emerging Field Initiative Project "Human Rights in Healthcare" (University of Erlangen-Nürnberg).

This ambitious book examines how the American health care system must be further reformed to bring it closer in line with the ideals of a modern democracy, as well as how the ACA may change in the coming years. It suggests the next, natural step in the realization of health and well being as a fundamental human right.

Can we really use economic thinking to understand our health care system? Health Economics, now in its sixth edition, not only shows how this is done, but also provides the tools to analyze the economic behavior of patients and providers in health care markets. Health Economics combines current economic theory, recent research, and up-to-date empirical studies into a comprehensive overview of the field. Key changes to this edition include: additional discussion of the consequences of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA), in light of current political changes; an extensive discussion of quality measures; more discussion of preventive services; a new section on drug markets and regulation; discussion of Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs); new references, problem sets, and an updated companion website with lecture slides. Designed for use in upper-division undergraduate economics studies, the book is suitable for students and lecturers in health economics, microeconomics, public health policy and practice, and health and society. It is also accessible to professional students in programs such as public policy, public health, business, and law.

Health insurance is the machinery that makes the financing of the US health system run. But what's going on under the hood? Health Insurance helps readers learn the underlying assumptions, facts, and variables that drive decision-making and choices on the payer side. Picking up where introductory economics courses often leave off, the book presents the foundational economic principles of health insurance to clarify insurance-related policy and management issues. Author Michael A. Morrisey clearly explains complex concepts such as adverse selection, moral hazard, managed care, and employer-sponsored health insurance. Also addressed are risk adjustment, demand, health savings accounts, selective contracting, the diversity of health insurance markets, and the functioning of Medicare and Medicaid. The book is distinguished by its in-depth discussion of research in health insurance, both cutting edge and classic. This third edition has been substantially revised to reflect the rapid evolution of the healthcare field stemming from the Affordable Care Act (ACA). Throughout, the most recent available data is used. Though health insurance has been a major player in the American healthcare system for decades, it's hardly static. This new edition of Health Insurance keeps pace with the changes, while also offering a thorough foundation on the basics.

From a giant of health care policy, an engaging and enlightening account of why American health care is so expensive--and why it doesn't have to be Uwe Reinhardt was a towering figure and moral conscience of health care policy in the United States and beyond. Famously bipartisan, he advised presidents and Congress on health reform and originated central features of the Affordable Care Act. In Priced Out, Reinhardt offers an engaging and enlightening account of today's U.S. health care system, explaining why it costs so much more and delivers so much less than the systems of every other advanced country, why this situation is morally indefensible, and how we might improve it. The problem, Reinhardt says, is not one of economics but of social ethics. There is no American political consensus on a fundamental question other countries settled long ago: to what extent should we be our brothers' and sisters' keepers when it comes to health care? Drawing on the best evidence, he guides readers through the chaotic, secretive, and inefficient way America finances health care, and he offers a penetrating ethical analysis of recent reform proposals. At this point, he argues, the United States appears to have three stark choices: the government can make the rich help pay for the health care of the poor, ration care by income, or control costs. Reinhardt proposes an alternative path: that by age 26 all Americans must choose either to join an insurance arrangement with community-rated premiums, or take a chance on being uninsured or relying on a health insurance market that charges premiums based on health status. An incisive look at the American health care system, Priced Out dispels the confusion, ignorance, myths, and misinformation that hinder effective reform.

How can countries chart their own course toward universal health coverage? Like many ambitious global goals, universal health coverage (UHC) remains an aspiration for many countries. The World Health Organization estimates that half the world's population lacks access to basic health services. Moreover, this already staggering number masks inequities that exist between and within countries: gaps between rich and poor, men and women, young and old, and among people of different ethnic backgrounds. UHC promises to give all people greater access to higher quality health services without the fear of financial hardship. But the task of turning this vision into reality poses a significant challenge for countries at all stages of economic development. In The Road to Universal Health Coverage, Jeffrey L. Sturchio, Ilona Kickbusch, Louis Galambos, and their contributors explore the ways in which the private sector is already helping countries achieve universal health coverage. Stressing the many positive aspects of UHC developments, the book focuses on the new health economy and the sometimes controversial dimensions of the private sector helping countries achieve UHC. Theoretical chapters are complemented by a series of case studies that explore the myriad ways in which private sector actors are already addressing UHC. What are the conditions required for countries to translate their successful experiences and policy promises into practical results for improved population health? In answering this question, the contributors examine the relationship between health employment and economic growth. They also analyze the critical success factors for private sector engagement in UHC, the role of healthy women in creating and sustaining healthy economies, and the role of the pharmaceutical sector. Looking to the political, economic, and social implications of moving from aspiration to implementation, The Road to Universal Health Coverage points the way to the many opportunities ahead as companies continue to work with governments and civil society partners to help achieve UHC. Jean-Louise Arcand, Héctor Arreola-Ornelas, Nathan J. Blanchet, Christine Bugos, Jim Campbell, John Campbell, Jr., Ibadat Dhillon, Donika Dimovska, Christian Franz, Michael Fürst, Louis Galambos, Belén Garijo, Adeel Ishtiaq, Sowmya Kadandale, Ilona Kickbusch, Felicia Marie Knaul, Jeremy Lauer, Robert Marten, Justin McCarthy, Harald Nusser, K. Srinath Reddy, Yasmine Rouai, Jeffrey L. Sturchio, Cicely Thomas, Tana Wuliji, Snow Yang, Pascal Zurn

Reaching beyond statistics and prevalent assumptions, Uninsured in America goes to the heart of why more than forty million Americans are falling through the cracks in the health care system, and what it means for society as a whole when so many people suffer the consequences of inadequate medical care. Based on interviews with 120 uninsured men and women and dozens of medical providers, policymakers, and advocates from around the nation, this book takes a fresh look at one of the most important social issues facing the United States today. The vivid and moving stories of those interviewed illustrate the complicated dilemmas--including full-time family caregiving, sudden illness, self-employment, layoffs, and on-the-job injuries--faced by those trying to balance medical problems with housing costs and other daily necessities. This engrossing, accessible, and timely book concludes that our current health care system is leading to fundamental structural changes in American society.

This informative volume synthesizes the literatures on health economics, risk management, and health services into a concise guide to the financial and social basics of health insurance with an eye to its wide-scale upgrade. Its scope takes in concepts of health capital, strengths and limitations of insurance models, the effectiveness of coverage and services, and the roles of healthcare providers and government agencies in the equation. Coverage surveys the current state of group and public policies, most notably the effects of the Affordable Care Act on insurers and consumers and the current interest in universal coverage and single-payer plans. Throughout, the author provides systemic reasons to explain why today's health insurance fails so many consumers, concluding with reality-based recommendations for making insurance more valuable to both today's market and consumer well-being. Included among the topics:   ·Defining health insurance and healthcare finance. ·Consuming and investing in health. ·The scope of health insurance and its constraints. ·Matching health insurance supply and demand.·The role of government in health insurance. ·Ongoing challenges and the future of health insurance. Bringing a needed degree of objectivity to often highly subjective material, What Is Health Insurance (Good) For? is a call to reform to be read by health insurance researchers (including risk management insurance and health services research), professionals, practitioners, and policymakers.