Intensive Care: How Congress Shapes Health Policy by Thomas E. Mann, Thomas E. Mann (Editor), Norman J. Ornstein (Editor)

Judith A. Cooksey

This scholarly and readable book describes how the U.S. Congress functions as it deliberates and develops health policy. Chapters cover the committee organization and jurisdictions, the budgeting process, how information informs decisions, congressional oversight functions, and case study analysis of the failed Clinton health reform plan. The book is a final product of a project to assess and improve the way Congress functions. It offers a nonpartisan, well-researched, and current view of how Congress is organized and equipped to approach and determine health policy. The editors and authors are all experts in their field, and they present a detailed and well informed analysis. This book will be useful to individuals (healthcare professionals, advanced students, scholars) who have an interest in understanding the complex dynamics and influences on health policy. It offers a thoughtful, behind-the-scenes perspective that will be appreciated by those from the health care sector as well as from political science and policy analysis. Each chapter is clearly written with useful notes. Despite multiple authors, there is no duplication of material, and the text is well edited. Each chapter takes a fairly complicated topic and presents an interesting discussion and analysis, drawing on fairly current examples of health issues (AIDS funding, Medicare hospital and physician payment reform and oversight, the 1989 Medicare Catastrophic Coverage Act and the Clinton health care reform effort). This book represents a scholarly and timely addition to the field of health policy studies. It can serve as a reference or an informed text on how Congress works and the complex interplay of factors thathave shaped its efforts to deliberate and establish national health policy and oversight.

Doody Review Services

Reviewer:Judith A. Cooksey, MD, MPH (University of Illinois at Chicago School of Public Health)
Description:This scholarly and readable book describes how the U.S. Congress functions as it deliberates and develops health policy. Chapters cover the committee organization and jurisdictions, the budgeting process, how information informs decisions, congressional oversight functions, and case study analysis of the failed Clinton health reform plan.
Purpose:The book is a final product of a project to assess and improve the way Congress functions. It offers a nonpartisan, well-researched, and current view of how Congress is organized and equipped to approach and determine health policy. The editors and authors are all experts in their field, and they present a detailed and well informed analysis.
Audience:This book will be useful to individuals (healthcare professionals, advanced students, scholars) who have an interest in understanding the complex dynamics and influences on health policy. It offers a thoughtful, behind-the-scenes perspective that will be appreciated by those from the health care sector as well as from political science and policy analysis.
Features:Each chapter is clearly written with useful notes. Despite multiple authors, there is no duplication of material, and the text is well edited. Each chapter takes a fairly complicated topic and presents an interesting discussion and analysis, drawing on fairly current examples of health issues (AIDS funding, Medicare hospital and physician payment reform and oversight, the 1989 Medicare Catastrophic Coverage Act and the Clinton health care reform effort).
Assessment:This book represents a scholarly and timely addition to the field of health policy studies. It can serve as a reference or an informed text on how Congress works and the complex interplay of factors that have shaped its efforts to deliberate and establish national health policy and oversight.

Booknews

The first section considers how Congress's committee jurisdictions, budgeting procedures, information, and oversight influence health policymaking. The second part examines two recent episodes in health policymaking to generalize about how Congressional process shapes policy. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

Rating

5 Stars! from Doody

Product Details

• Table of Contents

Table of Contents