The politics of health and social welfare in the United States

Abstract

In their essay, Jack H. Knott and Robert F. Rich provide an overview of the development of the private-public, segmented health care system in the United States. It then examines what the authors call the “politics of exceptions” as the original fee-for-service model of health insurance was radically altered by the introduction of managed care and other reforms. Knott and Rich examine health policy by analyzing political values and institutions, which allows them to assess the strengths and weaknesses of the health care system and serves as a basis for recommending politically feasible options for reform in the future.