Inside National Health Reform

By offering a concise description of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), McDonough (public health, Harvard; Experiencing Politics: A Legislator's Stories of Government and Health Care) provides an opportunity for readers interested in debating the merits of the law to do so with a solid understanding of its history and content. McDonough worked as a Massachusetts state legislator, in addition to directing Harvard's Center for Public Health Leadership during the creation of that state's health-care reform, and went on to serve as a Senate staffer during the drafting and passage of the ACA. He describes the origins and legislative struggles that led to the laws that were enacted and then devotes a chapter to each of the ten titles within the ACA. A concluding chapter attempts to look at the future of the law—its challenging implementation, fiscal consequences, and legal issues.