Health Care Reform : Policy Innovations at the State Level in the United States

First published in 1998. Routledge is an imprint of Taylor & Francis, an informa company. This book examines the expanded role of state government in health policy innovation, explaining why some states are more likely than others to be innovative in the health care arena. The author provides detailed case studies of Oregon, Hawaii, and Oklahoma, states which have taken quite different paths in their search for increased access and reduced costs.A review of policy literature is presented, emphasizing the difficulty in using current theories to analyze health care reform efforts. The book also offers a unique comparative historical analysis of the emergence of modern health care systems in the United States, Canada, Germany, and Great Britain. A late starter in governmental involvement in health systems, the American federal government has provided health services to specific segments of the population through a series of incremental approaches such as Medicare, while more universal legislation has routinely been defeated. This combination of inaction by the federal government and rising costs has inspired the states to institute health reforms of their own. A highlight of this study is a ranking of all 50 states based on specific health policy innovations. First published in 1998. The result of five years of research, this is the final volume in the 6-volume set titled Health Care Policy in the United States. The purpose of this book is to examine the response by American states to the growing demand for health care reform. It seeks to answer the basic question of which states are leading the way in responding to this need and why. In the context of this research, the word “reform” covers a broad range of ideas, proposals, and policy instruments. Larry E. Carter. Includes Bibliographical References And Index.