U.S. Health Policy and Politics: A Documentary History brings together more than 150 primary-source historic documents that will help readers understand how U.S. health policies have evolved to the point where they now exert a tremendous influence over virtually every aspect of American life, from the commercial fortunes of industries to the household budgets of ordinary families. These carefully selected primary sources, including speeches, congressional and courtroom testimony, private letters, classified memoranda, etc., will be supplemented with authoritative original writing that provides vital context for featured documents.

Thematic chapter organization brings together often disparate documents and chronological organization within those chapters helps give students a clearer picture of how events have unfolded over time. Among the high-interest topics that will be examined are trends in insurance costs and coverage; government health care programs; inequities in health care; trends in hospital and physician care and business practice; government regulation of personal health care decisions; and trends in medical research and technology.

"For its historical scope, well-researched content, and relevance to a variety of disciplines, this book should be on the shelf of every academic library. Hillstrom, an award-winning author of several reference books, is the perfect fit to tackle the content of this ambitious topic. Rather than being a typical clinically oriented health policy book, this is a true documentary history of health care in the United States, including the cultural and societal influences that shaped it. In the tradition of any good historiographer, Hillstrom's writing is akin to storytelling, thereby adding much interest and even fascination to the topic. The scope is far-reaching, beginning with health care issues in the New World of the 1600s and ending with Obama's Health Care Reform Bill. Hillstrom makes excellent use of primary sources, seamlessly interweaving them with the narrative. As a bonus, all 150-plus primary source documents--from the obscure to the well-known--are included in full-text format, making this a treat for any historian. Students in medicine, public health, humanities, history, political science, and religion will find this book useful as they seek to understand the varying influences that formed--and continue to form--US health policy." - Choice

"...as topical as today's headlines and providing a solid foundation for anyone interested in the history of U.S. health policy, this title will appeal to scholars and the general public alike." - Library Journal

Kevin Hillstrom has written and edited award-winning reference books on a wide range of subjects, including American history, popular culture, and international environmental issues. His reference works include the four-volume American Civil War Reference Library (2000), the six volume The World’s Environments series (2003–04), and the nine-volume series The Industrial Revolution (2005–06)

Health Care Policy and Politics A to Z, 3rd Edition

Health Care Issues: Selections from CQ Researcher