Online Book: "Covering Health Issues"
The Alliance for Health Reform makes available online a free 300-page guide to health policy issues, entitled "Covering Health Issues". The guide appears intended for the media, but is a great reference for any teacher, consumer, or professional seeking reliable information about the history of health program reforms, current laws & regulations, various service & funding programs, and other resources on various health care topics. Although not state-specific, it is an up-to-date primer on important health care issues.
It is described by AHR as follows:
This 300-page book contains an overview, expert sources with telephone numbers, story ideas, websites, key facts, and a discussion of current policy proposals for all of the topics below:
- The uninsured
- Private health coverage
- Children’s health coverage
- Medicare
- Medicare prescription drugs
- Medicaid
- Long-term care
- Health care costs
- Quality and health information technology
- Disparities
- Mental health
- Public health
Extras include a step-by-step primer on the congressional budget process, tips on covering health issues for TV and radio, and a list of websites where you can find public opinion polls on health issues. You will also find a glossary of terms related to health coverage.
Found here are the links to the complete book, or to the following individual chapters, for viewing or download:
AHR also offers the book in an HTML version in English or in Spanish.
