This bestselling text is a concise and balanced classic presenting the domestic health care system. It explains the five major components of the U.S. health care system: health care institutions, health care personnel, financing mechanisms, research and educational institutions that produce biomedical knowledge and health personnel, and firms producing "health commodities" (such as pharmaceutical drugs and hospital equipment).

Completely updated to reflect the continual changes in the U.S. health care delivery system, this text includes new information on government and public policy reforms and recommendations, as well as website resources and glossary of terms. It provides a glimpse into the future of our well-being.