The Health Care Handbook
*Starred Review* Medical students Askin and Moore have partnered to write an extremely easy-to-understand book that explains the U.S. health-care system. The book succeeds in making sense of health care without opinion, bias, or dense textbook language. Divided into five chapters, the book contains a wealth of information that will leave health-care professionals, students, and patients well educated about a system that usually leaves everyone confused.   “Health Care Systems and Delivery” covers the different kinds of hospitals (public, private, for-profit, and physician-owned) as well as networks and outpatient care. “Health Care Providers” explains the titles of various health-care workers, from doctor to nurse-practitioner to medical transcriptionist, and includes licensing, certification, and education requirements for each profession. “Insurance and Economics” covers the various types of medical insurance in detail and breaks down the economic concepts of health care, including administrative overhead, behavioral economics, chronic care, government regulations, and overtreatment. “Research, Pharmaceuticals, and Medical Devices” explains the costs of prescriptions, what qualifies as a generic drug, and evidence-based medicine. “Policy and Reform” includes a large section on the Affordable Care Act that is thorough and dispassionate in its explanation—a refreshing change from many books on the topic.   Packed with easy-to-use tables, graphs, and charts, this inexpensive book is a must-have for anyone who wants a basic understanding of the U.S. health-care system. Highly recommended for all medical, public, and academic libraries. --Steve Stratton