Our Unsystematic Health Care System - 4th Edition by Grace Budrys (Paperback)

About the Book

Significantly revised and updated, the fourth edition of Our Unsystematic Health Care System provides an accessible overview of the US health care system, with a focus on the impact of the Affordable Care Act. As in previous editions, the book introduces health insurance arran...

Book Synopsis

Our Unsystematic Health Care System presents readers with a comprehensive overview of the U.S. health care delivery system. Significantly revised and updated, the fourth edition explores the implementation of the Affordable Care Act, or "Obamacare," as it unfolds--including both challenges and successes. Grace Budrys traces how dissatisfied Americans have been with the country's health care arrangements and the continuing changes of health care reforms.

The fourth edition examines the impact the Affordable Care Act has had on the U.S. health care system since it was enacted in 2010, including efforts to identify the appropriate indicators to gauge the law's effects. As in previous editions, the book introduces readers to health insurance arrangements in the United States, including private and public health insurance plans, then compares our health care system to those in other countries, which often have better patient outcomes and lower cost. The fourth edition points out the factors outside of the health care system that might play a role in explaining why Americans do not enjoy better health and longer life expectancy.

Our Unsystematic Health Care System is an ideal book for introducing readers, especially students in courses such as medical sociology, public health, or health policy and administration, to the basics of the complex U.S. health care system in an accessible way.

Review Quotes

Our Unsystematic Health Care System provides a comprehensive and critical introduction to the institutions of the US health care system. It is an indispensable resource for advanced students in economics or politics embarking on the study of health and health care (as well as for sociologists, its primary audience). Throughout, Budrys poses thoughtful questions and identifies interesting paradoxes and conflicts in the arena of health care. Budrys's book explains not only where we are but how we got here.

The 2010 Patient Protection and Health Care Affordability Act still remains a bit of a mystery to most people, and it is hard to tell just exactly where the US is headed with health care. Budrys (sociologist, DePaul Univ.) has done a remarkable job in providing a 10,000-foot snapshot of the system as of June 2011. In two previous editions (2nd ed., 2005; 1st ed., CH, Dec'01, 39-2219), the author rendered images of the forces that helped to shape US health care. Building on those prior descriptions, this work focuses on the origins of reform legislation and subsequent changes. The book begins with an overview across an array of disciplines and then discusses effects on various components of the system including hospitals, health care professions, and public/private insurance. One chapter focuses on opinions regarding the new legislation. The last two chapters review health systems in other countries and provide case studies on the dilemmas of reform. Budrys captures the plenum nature of the system across economic and political landscapes, and the policy choices that the country faces. The text is clearly written and indexed with chapter references. A valuable resource for academic readers and health professionals, especially those in the social sciences. Summing Up: Highly recommended.

This fourth edition of Our Unsystematic Health Care System is a concise yet comprehensive review of the health care delivery system in the United States. In it, Budrys presents all of the critical elements of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and explains what each means for health care users, providers, and policymakers. This book is a must-read for those who want to understand the current status of the ACA, how health care got to this point, and how it continues to evolve. It provides readers with the facts about the ACA and its political, economic, and social context to make every reader a more informed participant in the discussion on current and future health care in this country.

About the Author

Grace Budrys is professor emerita at DePaul University. She chaired the committee that created the Master of Public Health program and served as director for one year, directed the Public Services Master Program, and was a professor in the Department of Sociology. Her books include Unequal Health: How Inequality Contributes to Health or Illness and How Nonprofits Work: Case Studies in Nonprofit Organizations.