Navigating Health Insurance (Health Navigation)

Navigating Health Insurance is a practical, balanced guide to understanding health insurance from the perspective of the consumer. The text is a comprehensive yet accessible examination of the strengths and weaknesses of health insurance in the United States. The authors begin with the fundamentals of health insurance including its history and comparison to other forms of insurance. Readers are then introduced to basic health insurance principles and terminology as well as types of insurance such as Medicaid, Medicare, Medigap, Exchanges, and others. The impacts of the Affordable Care Act on health insurance are explored as well as essential services and coverage decisions, payment mechanisms, claims and reimbursement, worker's compensation, long term care, and more. Readers are challenged to consider market and social justice philosophies such as the impact of health insurance on access to health care services, international comparisons, and advantages and disadvantages of the U.S. system.