"How do we understand and also assess the health care of America? Where is health care provided? What are the characteristics of those institutions which provide it? Over the short term, how are changes in health care provisions affecting the health of the population, the cost of care, and access to care? These core issues regarding our health policy are answered in this text.This is a textbook for course work in health care, the handbook for administrators and policy makers, and the standard for in-service training programs"--Provided by the Publisher.