Health Policymaking in the United States

Instructor Resources: New test bank, PowerPoint slides, HAP Course Lesson Plans, answer guides to the chapter-end discussion questions, and a transition guide to the new edition.

In the past decade, the nation experienced an unusually active period in health policy with the enactment of the Affordable Care Act (ACA). Historically, health policymaking has been a slow yet persistent evolution. The ACA, in spite of its magnitude, is an excellent example of the incremental evolution that characterizes policymaking in the United States. This book provides context and background for understanding the development of today’s health reform legislation.

In the new edition of this widely used book, Beaufort Longest provides a framework for understanding the formulation, implementation, and modification of health policymaking at both the federal and state levels. Students will learn how policymaking relates to decisions that affect healthcare providers and patients. They will also gain insight into how they can influence the policymaking process. Incorporated in the book are excerpts from congressional testimony, news stories, executive orders, legislation, and other documents related to real-world policy issues.

Thoroughly updated and revised, this edition:

Beaufort B. Longest, Jr., is the M. Allen Pond Professor of Health Policy & Management in the Department of Health Policy & Management of the Graduate School of Public Health at the University of Pittsburgh (Pitt). He is also the founding director of Pitt’s Health Policy Institute. His research on health policy and management issues has generated substantial grant support and has led to the publication of numerous peer-reviewed articles. His most recent article pertains to getting faculty in schools of public health more involved in policymaking. In addition, Longest has authored or coauthored 10 books and 30 chapters in other books.