Author Description

Health care costs too much and too many Americans go without it. While every other advanced industrial nation has virtually universal access to decent, affordable medical care, the United States has been stuck in massive conflict over how to provide this service to its citizens. Guaranteeing access to and controlling the costs of health care are extremely difficult and complex, fraught with risks and uncertainties. But can the nation afford not to address health care reform? Most Americans recognize that something must be done, yet agreeing on a cure for the nation's health care woes has proved to be exceedingly difficult. Competing Solutions assesses the Clinton administration's proposals and several alternative plans. Joseph White examines the medical care systems of Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Japan, and the United Kingdom, revealing both the variety and the fundamental similarities of these systems. He shows how these countries have organized their financing and delivery of health care to achieve universal access and comparable quality care at much lower costs. He uses their experiences to explore the proper direction for American reform and to identify interesting alternatives.