Book excerpt: The most trusted and comprehensive guide to the healthcare system—fully updated with the latest changes and trends A Doody's Core Title for 2021! Understanding Health Policy: A Clinical Approach provides everything you need to master the healthcare system’s nuances and complexities, work more effectively with other members of healthcare teams, and identify areas in need of change. Written by practicing primary care physicians who are experts in healthcare policy, this peerless guide covers the entire scope of the U.S. healthcare system and draws on lessons from systems in other nations. The authors carefully weave key principles, descriptions, and concrete examples into chapters that make vital health policy issues interesting and understandable. Whether you’re a student, medical practitioner, or public policy professional, you will come away with a clearer, more systematic way of thinking about our healthcare system, its biggest challenges, and the most effective ways of making it better for everyone. Features • Covers every aspect of healthcare, including finance, organization, and reimbursement • Delivers updated information on the Affordable Care Act, Accountable Care Organizations, and system consolidation • Provides new insights into the role of social determinants in patient health • Clinical vignettes highlight key policy issues and clarify difficult concepts