ABSTRACT
This introduction presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book examines the role of the health sector in the context of the larger society and the extent to which the public differentiates between the influence of health care services and of such societal factors as class, education, and race on health status. It also examines the complexities of designing a mental health benefit and follows this with a brief consideration of long-term care. The book reviews the characteristics of the Resource-Based Relative Value Scale used to determine physician fee schedules and the steps taken by the Physician Payment Review Commission to refine the scale, making allowance for geographic adjustments. It shows how Medicare has been "twisted" to cover some of these costs that are not dealt with in a straightforward manner. The book explores the preferred level of federal and state action needed to improve the insurance market.
