Public opinion polls, media coverage, legal disputes, and policy debates at all levels of government and in private industry attest to the important place that individual health care and public health and safety hold in the minds of the American public, policymakers, and lawmakers.
Essentials of Health Policy and Law, Fourth Edition provides students of public health, medicine, nursing, public policy, and health administration with an introduction to a broad range of seminal issues in U.S. health policy and law, analytic frameworks for studying these complex issues, and an understanding of the ways in which health policies and laws are formulated, implemented, and applied. Concise and straightforward, this text is particularly known for its focus on national health reform under the Affordable Care Act (ACA). Additionally, the Fourth Edition offers:

- A unique chapter on the social determinants of health and the role of law in improving health.
- New content related to health reform; the healthcare system; the ACA's effect on Medicaid, Medicare, and CHIP; and incentivizing healthcare quality and private payer reform efforts.
- A significantly revised chapter on Public Health Preparedness Policy, reflecting an increased focus on natural disasters, controlling infectious diseases, and military emergencies.
- A how-to chapter on writing a policy analysis offers readers step-by-step instructions and examples for writing a policy brief.
- Valuable instructor's resources, including PowerPoint slides, test questions for each chapter, blog post updates, and more.