Essentials of the U.S. Health Care System, Sixth Edition is a clear and concise distillation of the major topics covered in the best-selling Delivering Health Care in America by the same authors. Written with the undergraduate in mind, Essentials of the U.S. Health Care System is a reader-friendly, well organized resource that covers the major characteristics, foundations, and future of the U.S. health care system. The text clarifies the complexities of health care organization and finance and presents a solid overview of how the various components fit together. Key Features: - Updated new data throughout. Tables, charts, figures, and text are all based on the latest data. - New sections on the prospects of healthcare reform under the Biden Administration and patient advocacy organizations. - Coverage of COVID, including the effects on U.S. hospitals, impact of vulnerable populations, implications for the future of health care delivery, etc. - Expanded coverage of nanomedicine, AI in health informatics, cybersecurity of data, and more. - Latest on ACA, including its effects on insurance, access, and cost. - New sections on payments for quality and cost savings; Payment Driven Payment Model (PDPM), payments for rehabilitation therapy. - Updates on forces of future change; cost, coverage and access dilemmas; and expectations of health reform in the broader economic context. - Navigate eBook access (included with each print text) provides online or offline access to the digital text from a computer, tablet, or mobile device.