This innovative book analyzes current U.S. health policy and proposes various alternatives for developing future health policy. Unlike other texts on the subject, it does not attempt to push a single solution set. Rather, it takes the perspectives of a variety of disciplines including economics, political science, management, communications, and public health. The authors also draw on the experiences of health policies in other countries including Canada and Europe. Organized into three sections, Health Policy addresses the context of U.S. health policy, the policy analysis process, and professional response. The first section explores the current issues with the system and its history and then reviews the alternatives for future policy that have strong support. The second section identifies the issues and reviews the political processes that influence planning in various healthcare settings. It presents the accepted methods of economic and financial analysis and addresses the ethical and other value considerations that must enter into the health policy process. The final section deals with the roles, skills, and leadership that health professionals can bring to the policy making process in their local and national communities.