New York University
Robert F. Wagner Graduate School of Public Service
HPAM-GP 2836 – Current Issues in Health Policy
Fall, 2013 - Version 1.2
Professor John Billings
Room: Global Center for Academic and Spiritual Life (GCASL) 269
Course Description
This course is an introduction to major health policy issues and examines the role of government in
the health care system. An important focus of the course is an assessment of the role of policy
analysis in the formation and implementation of national and local health policy. Because much of
government health policy relates to or is implemented through payment systems, several sessions
involve some discussion of the policy implications of how government pays for care, with a more
detailed review of the economics of payment systems available in Health Economics: Principles
(HPAM-GP4830). The role of the legal system with respect to adverse medical outcomes, economic
rights, and individual rights is also discussed. Proposals for health policy reform at the national and
local level are examined throughout the course, as well as Medicare and Medicaid reforms currently
being implemented or considered.
In an effort to accommodate a subset of students with scheduling challenges, this class will be held in
four all-day Friday marathons on September 6th, September 20th, October 4th, and October 18th.
There will be a morning and afternoon session on each of these days, with a lunch break between
sessions and a brief break during the morning and afternoon sessions. This is a continuing
experiment, and I have attempted to adapt the content of course to make these sessions less gruelling,
but expect we may make some changes along the way.
Course Requirements/Grading
There are three papers required for the course, one accounting for 35% of the final grade, and the
other two accounting for 25% each. See pages 11-13 below. Class discussion and debate are integral
to the course and will account for 15% of the final grade. Papers can be submitted in my mailbox or
using NYU Classes File Drop . There is no midterm or final exam.
Students are expected to have studied the assigned readings. The readings for the course are
primarily journal articles that will be posted in the Assigned Readings section of NYU Classes.
There is no text book for the course (although some alternative texts are suggested in the readings for
the AM Session of Day 1 for students with no prior health experience). The books required for the
second paper are readily available at area bookstores or on the web (e.g., amazon.com,
barnesandnoble.com, etc.). Copies of PowerPoint materials used in class will be posted in the
Session Notes section on the NYU Classes site at least 24 hours in advance of the class.
If you have questions about the reading materials or you need other help, please contact my
administrative assistant, Craig Schott [295 Lafayette Street - 3rd Floor - 212-998-7477 –
cs188@nyu.edu].
Office Hours
By appointment (212-998-7455) - john.billings@nyu.edu - 295 Lafayette Street – 2nd Floor
HPAM-GP 2836
Current Issues in Health Policy
Day 1 –9/06/13 – AM Session
Introduction – Description of course content, goals, and requirements
Square One: The role of government in health/health care

A discussion of the role of policy analysis in public policy formation and the
impact of public policy on the health system

Objectives of government in health and health care, discussion of limitations of
government, and some examples

Discussion of implications for policy
Required reading:
S. Schoenbaum S, A. Audet, and K. Davis, “Obtaining Greater Value from Health Care:
The Roles of the U.S. Government,” Health Affairs (November/December 2003): 183190.
G. Anderson, P Hussey, B Frogner, et al., “Health Spending in the United States and the
Rest of the World,” Health Affairs (July/August, 2005): 903-914.
Square Two: How health care is organized, financed, and paid for

Brief overview of how health care is organized, where the money comes from,
and how care is paid for

A little bit about insurance and “managed” care
Required reading:
Kaiser Family Foundation: How Private Health Coverage Works: A Primer – 2008
Update. http://www.kff.org/insurance/7766.cfm
S. Glied, “Health Insurance and Market Failure since Arrow”, Columbia University
Suggested reading on how the health care delivery system is organized:
T. Bodenheimer and K. Grumbach, Understanding Health Policy - Fifth Edition (New
York: McGraw Hill, 2008) – Chapters 4-7.
-- or -L.Shi, D. Singh, Delivering Health Care in America – (Jones & Bartlett Publishers, 2007)
– Chapters 1, 7, 8, and 9 – Preview available at http://books.google.com
-- or -A. Kovner, J. Knickman, Health Care Delivery in the United States – 10th Edition (New
York: Springer Publishing Company, 2011) – Chapters 4-5.
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HPAM-GP 2836
Current Issues in Health Policy
Problems for discussion – Each student will be assigned to one of four “discussion
groups” – these groups will be maintained throughout the semester and will be asked to address
a specific problem or take on a roll for a specific issue. Assignments are posted in the
Discussion Group section of Blackboard. For this session, each group will be asked to review
one of the two problems outlined below. The discussion groups can meet during the lunch
break and/or during the first 30 minutes of the Day 1 PM Session to discuss the issues related to
the problem, and then each discussion group will report back to the full group. The problems
are:

Problem A – More than half of emergency department use is for non-emergent
conditions or for conditions that could be treated safely and effectively in a primary care
setting. Many emergency rooms suffer from serious overcrowding, often resulting in
long waits for care or diversion of ambulances. What can government do
promote/encourage/require more optimal emergency room use?
Discussion Groups 1 and 2

Problem B – The Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) requires hospitals
to report results for patients for a set of “core performance measures” related to quality of
care [such as percent of heart attack patients given aspirin at admission, fibrinolytic
medication within 30 minutes, percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) with 90 minutes,
smoking cessation advice during the stay, beta blocker prescription at discharge, etc].
These process performance measures are reported publicly on the CMS website. Why
does CMS believe it to be necessary to implement this reporting system for these very
fundamental and widely accepted processes of care? What are the barriers to a hospital
for actually improving results on these measures?
Discussion Groups 3 and 4
Day 1 – 9/06/13 – PM Session
Square 2 (continued): How health care is organized, financed, and paid for

Finishing-up of how money changes hands

Discussion of the implications for policy

Quick look at English National Health Services (by way of comparison) and
current proposals for reform
Medical practice and health policy

Review of the enormous variation in medical practice

Discussion of causes of variation

Discussion of the implications for policy
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HPAM-GP 2836
Current Issues in Health Policy
Required reading:
E. Fisher, D. Wennberg, T. Stukel, et al., “The Implications of Regional Variation in
Medicare Spending - Part 2: Health Outcomes and Satisfaction with Care,” Annals of
Internal Medicine 138, No. 4 (2003): 288-299
J. Wennberg, E. Fisher, T. Stukel, et al., “Use of Hospitals, Physician Visits, and Hospice
During the Last Six Months of Life among Cohorts Loyal to Highly Respected Hospitals
in the United States,” British Medical Journal 328, No. 7440 (March 13, 2004): 607-610.
K. Kozhimannil, M. Law, and B. Virnig, “Cesarean Delivery Rates Vary Tenfold Among
US Hospitals; Reducing Variation May Address Quality and Cost Issues,” Health Affairs
(March, 2013): 527-535
D. Eddy, “Evidence-Based Medicine: A Unified Approach,” Health Affairs
(January/February, 2005): 9-17.
D. Jones, “Visions of a Cure,” Isis (September 2000):91:504-541 –
[http://www.jstor.org/browse/00211753/ap010310?frame=noframe&userID=807af334@
nyu.edu/01cc99333c3c2f10d557f64a8&dpi=3&config=jstor]
A. Gawande, “The Cost Conundrum,” New Yorker, June 1, 2009
Day 2 –9/20/13 – AM Session
Medicare: The basics and Issues for reform

A discussion of the role and objectives of government in health

Description of who and what is covered by Medicare

Review of how Medicare pays for health care

Description of the recent expansion Medicare to provide coverage for prescription
drugs

Issues for reform
Required reading:
C. Eibner, D. Goldman, J. Sullivan et al., “Three Large-Scale Changes to the Medicare
Program Could Curb Its Costs but Also Reduce Enrollment,” Health Affairs (May, 2013):
891-899.
K. Davis, C. Shoen, S. Guterman, “Medicare Essential: An Option to Promote Better
Care and Curb Spending Growth,” Health Affairs (May, 2013)” 900-909.
Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation, Prescription Drug Coverage for Medicare
Beneficiaries: A Summary of the Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement, and
Modernization Act of 2003 (December 10, 2003)
http://kff.org/medicaid/report/prescription-drug-coverage-for-medicare-beneficiaries-a-3/
Medicare and You: 2013 - http://www.medicare.gov/Pubs/pdf/10050.pdf
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Current Issues in Health Policy
Issue for discussion groups - Should federal policy promote participation of Medicare
recipients in private plans (managed care and/or fee for service)? If yes, why and how should
such participation be promoted? Discussion groups will be assigned one of the following roles:

Lefty – government can/should solve most of society’s problems types - Discussion
Group 1

Republican right (whatever that might be) - Discussion Group 2

Health care providers - Discussion Group 3

Health insurance industry - Discussion Group 4
Medicaid: The basics

History and financing of Medicaid

Description of who and what is covered by Medicaid
Required reading:
S. Decker, “In 2011 Nearly One-Third of Physicians Said They Would Not Accept New
Medicaid Patients but Rising Fees May Help,” Health Affairs (August, 2012) 1673-1679.
B. Sommers, K. Baicker, and A. Epstein, Mortality and Access to Care among Adults
after State Medicaid Expansions,” NEJM 2012;367:1025-34.
Medicaid: A Primer 2013 - http://kff.org/medicaid/issue-brief/medicaid-a-primer/
Issue for discussion groups - It’s 1965 and Congress is designing a health coverage
program for low income populations. What are your views on: i) who should be covered,
ii) what should be covered, iii) federal/state/local roles, and iv) the role of private plans.
Discussion group assignments:

Lefty – government can/should solve most of society’s problems types - Discussion
Group 2

Republican right (whatever that might be) - Discussion Group 3

Health care providers - Discussion Group 4

Health insurance industry - Discussion Group 1
Day 2 – 9/20/13 – PM Session
Medicaid: Issues for reform

What needs to be fixed/Issues for reform

Responding to the needs of high cost/high risk patients
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Current Issues in Health Policy
Required reading:
D. Draper, R. Hurley, and A. Short, “Medicaid Managed Care: The Last Bastion of the
HMO?” Health Affairs (March/April 2004): 155-167.
J. Billings, T. Mijanovich, “Improving The Management of Care for High-Cost Medicaid
Patients” Health Affairs no 6 (2007) 1643-1655.
Problems for discussion in Day 2 PM Session

Problem A – A large number of uninsured children and adults are eligible but not
enrolled in Medicaid. Why? What can government/not-for-profit groups do to get more
eligibles enrolled? What are the barriers? Who should do what?
Discussion Groups 3 and 4

Problem B – It is possible to identify Medicaid patients from claims data who are at
very high risk of future hospital admissions. These patients have high rates of chronic
disease, mental health conditions, and substance abuse problems, and these patients are
often homeless or precariously housed and socially isolated. What are the critical
components of a program to respond the needs of these patients (reducing future hospital
admissions), how can it be implemented (assuming there is no new money and the
initiative would have to break even with savings from reduced hospital admissions
covering the costs of the intervention), and what are the barriers to implementation?
Discussion Groups 1 and 2
Day 3 – 10/04/13 – AM Session
The major challenges confronting the health “system”: Disparities, Uninsurance,
and Costs

Overview of disparities in health services, utilization, and outcomes

Discussion of the factors that are contributing to these disparities

Description of the size and characteristics of the uninsured population

Review of the causes of uninsurance

Description of the dynamics of current cost increases

Review of the causes and implications of cost increase

Discussion of the implications of these challenges for policy makers and
providers and for the current health reform initiative
Required Reading:
J. Billings, L. Zeitel, J. Lukomnik, et al., “Impact of Socioeconomic Status on Hospital
Use in New York City” Health Affairs (Spring 1993): 162-173.
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HPAM-GP 2836
Current Issues in Health Policy
J. Billings, “Management Matters: Strengthening the Research Base to Help Improve
Performance of Safety Net Providers,” Health Care Management Review 28, No 4 2003):
323-334.
A. Jha, E, Orav, Low-Quality, High-Cost Hospitals, Mainly in the South, Care for
Sharply Higher Shares of Elderly Black, Hispanic, and Medicaid Patients, Health Affairs
(October 2011): 1904-1911.
The Uninsured – A Primer - http://kff.org/medicaid/issue-brief/the-uninsured-a-primer/
U. Reinhart, P Hussey, and G. Anderson, “U.S. Health Care Spending in an International
Context,” Health Affairs (May/June 2004): 10-25.
H. Aaron and P. Ginsburg, “Is Health Spending Excessive? If So, What Can We Do
About It?” Health Affairs (September/October 2009): 1260-1275.
T. Phillipson, M. Eber, D. Lakdawalla, “An Analysis of Whether Higher Health Care
Spending in the United States Versus Europe is “Worth It” in the Case of Cancer,” Health
Affairs (April, 2012): 667-675.
P. Cunningham, “The Growing Financial Burden of Health Care,” Health Affairs (May
2010): 1037-1044.
U. E. Reinhardt, Is it Time for a More Rational All-Payer System? Health Affairs
(November, 2011): 2125-2133.
D. Cutler and N. Sahni, “If Slow Rate of Health Care Spending Growth Persists,
Projections May Be Off by $700 Billion,” Health Affairs (May, 2013): 841-850.
Z. Song, D. Safran, B. Landon et al., “The ‘Alternative Quality Contract,’ Based on a
Global Budget, Lowered Medical Spending and Improved Quality” Health Affairs
(August, 2012): 1885-1894.
Problems for discussion in Day 3 PM Session

Problem A – There are differences by race, ethnicity, and income in prevalence of
diabetes, and these vulnerable populations have much higher rates of hospitalization for
diabetic ketoacidosis/hyperosmolar syndrome and for amputations related to diabetes.
You are advising a major local foundation that wants to create a program to help address
this problem. Describe the range of initiatives the foundation should support – be
specific about that activities supported and who the grants should go to. They’ve got
about $10 million/year to spend on this program.
Discussion Groups 2 and 4

Problem B – Escalating health costs remain a serious problem for the health care sector
in the U.S., making health insurance less affordable and placing significant burdens on
federal and state government budgets. What actions can be taken to help reduce the rate
of increase in costs? What is the role of the federal government, state government, and
private sector? Be specific and concrete about what actions can/should be taken and by
whom.
Discussion Groups 1 and 3
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HPAM-GP 2836
Current Issues in Health Policy
Day 3 – 10/04/13 – PM Session
Discussion group meetings and report back on recommendations
Prior efforts to respond to these challenges: The role of the states, the Clinton
Health Plan, and other federal initiatives

Overview of policies/programs at the federal, state, and local level to reduce
disparities, expand coverage, and control costs

Discussion of the strengths and limits of state/local initiatives

Discussion of the Clinton health plan, what problems it might have solved or
created, and why it failed

Implications for current reform initiatives
Required Reading:
W. Zelman, “The Rationale behind the Clinton Health Care Reform Plan,” Health Affairs
(Spring 1994): 9-29.
D. Yankelovich, “The Debate That Wasn’t: The Public and the Clinton Health Plan,”
Health Affairs (Spring 1995): 7-23.
R. Blendon, M. Brodie, and J. Benson, “What Happened to America’s Support for the
Clinton Health Plan,” Health Affairs (Summer 1995): 7-23.
J. Holahan, L. Blumberg, A. Weil, et al, “Roadmap to Coverage – Report for the Blue
Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts Foundation,” October, 2005
S. Long and K Stockey, “Sustaining Health Reform in a Recession: An Update on
Massachusetts as of Fall 2009,” Health Affairs (June 2010): 1234-1241.
G. Kenney, S. Long, and A. Luque, “Health Reform in Massachusetts Cut the
Uninsurance Rate Among Children in Half,” Health Affairs (June 2010): 1242-1247.
Kaiser Family Foundation, States Moving Towards Comprehensive Health Reform, July,
2009 - http://www.stateinnovation.org/Publications/All-Publications/Report---2008-11--Kaiser---State-Comprehensive-He.aspx
National Health Reform 2010

Overview of Affordable Care Act (ACA)

Discussion policy, politics, and power
Required Reading:
Kaiser Family Foundation: “Summary of the Affordable Care Act” –
http://kaiserfamilyfoundation.files.wordpress.com/2011/04/8061-021.pdf
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Current Issues in Health Policy
Kaiser Family Foundation: “Health Reform Implementation Timeline” –
http://kff.org/interactive/implementation-timeline/
J. Morone, “Presidents and Health Reform: From Franklin D. Roosevelt to Barack
Obama,” Health Affairs (June 2010): 1096-1100.
J. Oberlander, “Long Time Coming: Why Health Reform Finally Passed,” Health Affairs
(June 2010): 1112-1116.
S. Shortell, L Casalino, and E. Fisher, “How CMS Innovation Should Test Accountable
Care Organizations,” Health Affairs (July 2010): 1293-1298.
C. Price and C. Eibner, “For States That Opt Out of Medicaid Expansion: 3.6 Million
Fewer Insured and $8.4 Billion Less in Federal Payments,” Health Affairs (June, 2013):
1030-1036.
Issue for discussion groups – At various points in the presentation on the health reform
legislation that passed Congress in 2010, the perspectives of four interest groups on these
points will be elicited. The four interest groups are:

Lefty – reform didn’t go far enoughers – Discussion Group 3

Republican right (whatever that might be) – Discussion Group 4

Health care providers – Discussion Group 1

Employers – Discussion Group 2
Day 4 – 10/18/13 – AM Session
More policy issues concerning the pharmaceutical industry

Overview of the major policy issues concerning the pharmaceutical industry

Discussion of the factors that are contributing to these emergence of these issues
now

Discussion of the role of government with respect to the pharmaceutical industry
Required Reading:
P. Stein and E Valery, “Competition: An Antidote to the High Price of Prescription
Drugs,” Health Affairs (July/August 2004): 151-158.
K. Kaphingst and W. DeJong, “The Educational Potential of Direct-to-Consumer
Prescription Drug Advertising,” Health Affairs (July/August 2004): 143-150.
J. Jeffords, “Direct-to-Consumer Drug Advertising: You Get What You Pay For,”
Health Affairs - Web Exclusive (28 April 2004): W4 253-255.
P. Kelly, “DTC Advertising’s Benefits Far Outweigh Its Imperfections,” Health Affairs Web Exclusive (28 April 2004): W4 246-248.
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Current Issues in Health Policy
Optional reading:
J. Weisman, D. Blumenthal, A Silk, et al., “Consumers’ Reports on the Health Effects of
Direct-to-Consumer Drug Advertising,” Health Affairs - Web Exclusive (26 February
2003): W3 82-95.
J. Weisman, D. Blumenthal, A Silk, et al., “Physicians Report on Patient Encounters
Involving Direct-to-Consumer Drug Advertising,” Health Affairs - Web Exclusive (28
April 2004): W4 219-233.
Medical errors – Medical malpractice

Brief overview of current malpractice law

Description of what is known about medical errors

Analysis of the effectiveness of the legal system and malpractice law in assuring
quality and compensating victims of harm
Required reading:
Institute of Medicine, “Report Brief - To Err is Human: Building a Safer Health System”
- http://www.nap.edu/catalog/9728.html
M. Mello, D. Studdert, and T. Brennan, “The New Medical Malpractice Crisis,” New
England Journal of Medicine 343 No. 23 (2003): 2281-4.
W. Sage, “Medical Liability and Patient Safety,” Health Affairs (July/August 2003): 2636.
M. Hatlie and S. Sheridan, “The Medical Liability Crisis of 2003: Must We Squander the
Chance to Put Patients First?” Health Affairs (July/August 2003): 37-40.
A. Chandra, S. Nundy, S. Seabury, “The Growth of Physician Medical Malpractice
Payments: Evidence from the National Practitioner Data Bank,” Health Affairs - Web
Exclusive (31 May 2005): W5-240-249.
C. Landrigan, G. Parry, C. Bones et al., “Temporal Trends in Rates of Patient Harm
Resulting from Medical Care,” NEJM 2010;363:2124-34.
Issue for discussion groups – In discussing malpractice reform (and efforts to reduce
medical errors), each discussion group will be asked to make recommendations for government
and/or private action from the perspective of one of the following interest groups:

Lefty – government can/should solve most society’s problems types – Discussion
Group 4

Republican right (whatever that might be) – Discussion Group 1

Health care providers – Discussion Group 2

Legal profession – Discussion Group 3
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Current Issues in Health Policy
Day 4 – 10/18/13 – PM Session
Discussion group meetings and report back on recommendations
Role of Patients – Making informed decisions

Patient’s rights to refuse/withdraw treatment

What information do patients need to make health care decisions (choice of
treatment, doctor/hospital, health plan, etc.)

What’s the best way to get information to patients
Required reading:
Cruzan v. Director, Missouri Department of Health – 497 U.S. 261 (1990)
http://caselaw.lp.findlaw.com/scripts/getcase.pl?court=us&vol=497&invol=261
M. Morgan, R Deber, H. Llewellyn-Thomas, “Randomized Controlled Trial of an
Interactive Videodisc Decision Aid for Patients with Ischemic Heart Disease,” Journal of
General Internal Medicine 15 No. 10 (2000): 685-693
A. O’Connor, H. Llewellyn-Thomas, and A. Flood, “Modifying Unwarranted Variations
in Health Care: Shared Decision Making Using Patient Decision Aids,” Health Affairs –
Web Exclusive (7 October 2004): VAR 63-72.
D. Arterburn, R Wellman, E Westbrook, et al., “Introducing Decision Aids at Group
Health Was Linked to Sharply Lower Hip and Knee Surgery Rates and Costs,” Health
Affairs (September, 2012): 2094-2104.
D. Veroff, A. Marr, and D. Wennberg, “Enhanced Support for Shared Decision Making
Reduced Costs of Care for Patients with Preference Sensitive Conditions,” Health Affairs
(February, 2013): 285-293.
New York State Department of Health, Acute Cardiac Surgery in New York State: 20072009 (February, 2012):
http://www.health.ny.gov/statistics/diseases/cardiovascular/heart_disease/docs/20082010_adult_cardiac_surgery.pdf
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HPAM-GP 2836
Current Issues in Health Policy
REQUIRED PAPERS
Paper 0.5 – Personal Resume (Pass/Fail) – Provide a very brief resume/vita/something that
describes who you are, employment experience (if any), and career goals (if any) and attach a
recent photo of yourself (try Xeroxing you ID if you can’t do any better).
Due Date: 9/13/13 – 11:59pm (use NYU Classes File Drop or put it in my mail box)
Working in teams for Papers 1-3 – For Papers 1-3 you make work in teams of up to 3
students. However, teams must have members from at least two different “programs” (HPAM,
PNMP, DNP, Bioethics, MPH, Executive MPA, Nursing Administration, etc). There is no
requirement that you work on a team, and different teams can be formed for the various papers.
Submit only one paper per team (and identify all team members).
Paper 1 – The Dartmouth Atlas Memo (35% of final grade) – ≤ 8 pages – Take a look at
the website for the Dartmouth Atlas of Healthcare. There is an interactive site, where you can
pick out specific utilization or resource use measures for specific areas or hospitals
(http://www.dartmouthatlas.org/) and there is also an area of the site where you can download
Excel or pdf files with the data (http://www.dartmouthatlas.org/downloads.aspx) – this latter site
much easier to navigate and I strongly recommend using it. Pick an example of variation in
utilization (not costs or beds) that you believe is unwarranted and describe the range of factors
that are likely to contribute to the differences among areas (or hospitals). Then pick one
contributing factor that you think is important (or that you think something can be done about it)
and make some suggestions about what might be done to reduce variation. Be specific and
detailed in your suggestions, including who ought to do what to whom. Be realistic, don’t make
suggestions that cannot be implemented because of technical, financial, or political
considerations. This is a conceptual piece and not a research paper, but footnote sources of ideas
from others that you use for the causes of variation (or the suggested solutions if the ideas come
from a specific source).
Due Date: Day 2 Session or submit via NYU Classes File Drop by 9/22/13 – 11:59PM
Paper 2 – Book Memo (25% of final grade) - ≤ 6 pages – You are a newly hired policy staff
person for some senator, the governor of any state, a health commissioner, the president of the
National Association of Community Health Centers, CEO of a large health insurance
plan/managed care plan, or some other health organization of your choice (domestic or
international). Your boss walks by your cubicle and plops down one of the books listed below
(or tickets to one of the films listed below) and asks you to read/see it and tell her/him i) what it’s
about, ii) why it’s important, and iii) what it means to your organization/constituency. Select a
book/film from the list below and write a brief memo (remembering your boss has a very short
attention span and will stop reading if it goes beyond 6 pages). Make sure you identify your
hypothetical employer.

Adrian Nicole LeBlanc – Random Family: Love, Drugs, Trouble, and Coming of Age in
the Bronx.
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Current Issues in Health Policy

Anne Fadiman – The Sprit Catches You and You Fall Down.

Sherwin Nulin – How We Die.

Eric Klineberg – Heat Wave: A Social Autopsy of Disaster in Chicago; Going Solo: The
Extraordinary Rise and Surprising Appeal of Living Alone

Laurie Kaye Abraham – Mama Might Be Better Off Dead: The Failure of Health Care in
Urban America.

Jerry Avorn – Powerful Medicines : The Benefits, Risks, and Costs of Prescription Drugs.

Andrew Solomon – The Noonday Demon.

Richard Deyo and Donald Patrick – Hope or Hype: The Obsession with Medical
Advances and the High Cost of False Promises.

Shannon Brownlee - Overtreated: Why Too Much Medicine Is Making Us Sicker and Poorer

Jerome Groopman – How Doctors Think

John Abramson - Overdosed America : The Broken Promise of American Medicine

Ray Moynihan/Alan Cassels – Selling Sickness

Atul Gawande – Complications: A Surgeon’s Notes on an Imperfect Science or Better: A
Surgeon’s Notes on Performance, or Better: A Surgeon's Notes on Performance, or The
Checklist Manifesto: How to Get Things Right

David Kessler – The End of Overeating: Taking Control of the Insatiable American Appetite

John Wennberg – Tracking Medicine

Otis Brawley – How We Do Harm: A Doctor Breaks Ranks

Eric Manheimer - Twelve Patients: Life and Death at Bellevue Hospital

Angela Coulter – Engaging Patients in Healthcare

Film: Michael Haneke – Amour

Film: Peter Nicks – The Waiting Room
Due Date: Day 3 Session or submit via NYU Classes File Drop by 10/06/13 – 11:59PM
Paper 3 – A Current Issue in Health Policy (25% of final grade) - ≤ 6 pages – Read the
newspaper. All “semester”. Pick a news story from sometime during the “semester” and discuss
how it relates to some topic covered in class. Give a brief summary of the article, and then
discuss how it relates to, reinforces, amplifies, or contradicts something covered in class. If it is
describing a problem in the health system, comment briefly on how the system is organized (not)
and how we pay for things are likely to affect, contribute to, or impact the problem, and discuss
what might be done about it (and how). If it is describing some amazing breakthrough, discuss
whether it is really very likely to actually have any impact (and why), and again consider how
the system is organized (not) and how we pay for things are likely to affect contribute to/impact
the problem or breakthrough. Make it interesting (I have to read 40+ of these). Cite the date and
source of the article.
Due Date: Day 4 Session or submit via NYU Classes File Drop by 10/20/13 – 11:59PM
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