Basics of the U.S. Health Care System

Nancy J. Niles presents Basics of the U.S. Health Care System, 5th Edition, a foundational textbook designed for introductory undergraduate healthcare courses. Published by Jones & Bartlett Learning, this 2024 volume outlines the primary organizational structures, operational methods, and regulatory policy mechanisms that govern American medical care.

The text synthesizes essential industry operations into clear, structured thematic units. Students explore inpatient hospital facilities, outpatient clinical settings, and long-term care services alongside commercial health insurance payors and public financing mechanisms. Further chapters investigate governmental regulatory roles, public health infrastructure, healthcare information technology, and the legal and ethical principles surrounding modern health delivery.

This edition integrates recent federal legislative actions, explicitly detailing specific health policy provisions within the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 and the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act of 2022. The work provides university instructors, entering health professions students, and practicing healthcare professionals with an accessible, grounded orientation to contemporary medical delivery systems across the United States.