Consumer Financial Issues in Health Care.

While government officials, health care providers, and insurers debate the cause and cure of high and rising health care costs, consumers face the daunting task of making critical health care decisions for themselves and family members in a complex market. This chapter describes the characteristics of and key players in that market. Reasons given in the academic and popular press for high and rising health care costs are evaluated. Effectiveness of insurance in keeping health care attainable and affordable for consumers is explored. The chapter concludes with suggestions for future research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]