Economic Evolution of American Health Care From Marcus Welby to Managed Care

Summary: "David Dranove, one of the most skilled research economists working in health care, has written a lively, accessible book tracing the economic and technological forces that have transformed health care from a mom-and-pop operation to big business. In an era when managed care is hard to love, Dranove steps back and assesses how it happened, what it does (and doesn't do), and then offers sensible evidence-based recomme...ndations on where to go from here."--Thomas G. McGuire, Boston University "At a time when managed care seems to be in the crosshairs, David Dranove has written a balanced and sensible account of its prospects and problems. His book deserves a wide hearing."--Joseph P. Newhouse, Director of the Division of Health Policy Research and Education, Harvard University "If you are trying to get your arms around the pivotal issues facing the health care industry, David Dranove's book is a great help. He has a way of focusing in on the complex issues in health care, de-scrambling them to tell you what's really going on, and offering insights that could make the system work better. It will be interesting to see whether those who embrace Dranove's ideas will be successful. . . . His style is conversational and connects complex ideas in a way that is easy to understand."--Michael Sedlak, Investment Analyst, Responsive Financial Services, Inc. "This book is a personal perspective on the evolution of health care from a very well-regarded economist. It provides an accessible and thoughtful recent history and guide to the issues that will be valuable to health care practitioners and policymakers."--Michael A. Morrisey, University of Alabama at Birmingham "Well-written, thoughtful, and provocative. This book does an excellent job of using powerful theoretical concepts to examine complex issues in a lucid and readily accessible way. It also offers a very good, up-to-date review of the literature."--William White, Yale University Medical School [read more]