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Poverty and the Myths of Health Care Reform

Richard (Buz) Cooper, MD

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Proof that high health care spending is linked directly to poverty.

In Poverty and the Myths of Health Care Reform, Dr. Richard (Buz) Cooper argues that US poverty and high health care spending are inextricably entwined. Our nation's health care system bears a financial burden that is greater than in any other developed country in large part because impoverished patients use more health care, driving up costs across the board.

Drawing on decades of research, Dr. Cooper illuminates the geographic patterns of poverty, wealth, and health care utilization that exist across neighborhoods, regions...

Proof that high health care spending is linked directly to poverty.

In Poverty and the Myths of Health Care Reform, Dr. Richard (Buz) Cooper argues that US poverty and high health care spending are inextricably entwined. Our nation's health care system bears a financial burden that is greater than in any other developed country in large part because impoverished patients use more health care, driving up costs across the board.

Drawing on decades of research, Dr. Cooper illuminates the geographic patterns of poverty, wealth, and health care utilization that exist across neighborhoods, regions, and states—and among countries. He chronicles the historical threads that have led to such differences, examines the approaches that have been taken to combat poverty throughout US history, and analyzes the impact that structural changes now envisioned for clinical practice are likely to have. His research reveals that ignoring the impact of low income on health care utilization while blaming rising costs on waste, inefficiency, and unnecessary care has led policy makers to reshape clinical practice in ways that impede providers who care for the poor.

The first book to address the fundamental nexus that binds poverty and income inequality to soaring health care utilization and spending, Poverty and the Myths of Health Care Reform is a must-read for medical professionals, public health scholars, politicians, and anyone concerned with the heavy burden of inequality on the health of Americans.

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Reviews

The capstone to an illustrious career in academic medicine. Cooper's book offers surprising insights.

Offers helpful information for every American interested in improving the country's health care system. Recommended.

Passionately but meticulously argued.

An extremely important, brilliantly told story that, if understood by more people, would bring major changes to our health care system by improving medical care and reducing costs.

Cooper makes the centrally important argument that socioeconomic factors underlie high health care utilizations and costs, leaving people living in poverty vulnerable to poor health, high levels of hospitalization and readmission, and limited life prospects. Approaching the problem from multiple angles, this book is an important contribution to policy, scholarship, and the lives and livelihoods of Americans.

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Book Details

Publication Date
Status
Available
Trim Size
6
x
9
Pages
304
ISBN
9781421429052
Illustration Description
76 line drawings
Table of Contents

Preface
Acknowledgments
Introduction
1. Riding the A Train
2. Milwaukee
3. Los Angeles
4. Boston versus New Haven
5. Health Care Costs of Poverty
6. A Nation of Nations
7. Global Perspectives
8. States
9. The 30

Preface
Acknowledgments
Introduction
1. Riding the A Train
2. Milwaukee
3. Los Angeles
4. Boston versus New Haven
5. Health Care Costs of Poverty
6. A Nation of Nations
7. Global Perspectives
8. States
9. The 30% Solution
10. Solution #1
11. Solution #2
References
Index

Author Bio
Richard (Buz) Cooper, MD
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Richard (Buz) Cooper, MD

Richard (Buz) Cooper, MD (1936–2016), was a senior fellow at the University of Pennsylvania's Leonard Davis Institute of Health Economics, the dean and executive vice president of the Medical College of Wisconsin, where he founded the Institute for Health and Society, and the cofounder and director of the University of Pennsylvania Cancer Center.
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