The credit crunch is a threat to publicly funded health care. World-leading health economist Cam Donaldson defends our systems on the same basis as those who seek to erode public services, namely, that of economic efficiency. However, protecting government funding of health care is not enough. Donaldson goes on to show how we can get more out of our systems by addressing issues of value for money. This raises several practical and moral issues, such as: What have we achieved through continuous rounds of health care reform and is there any more that can be achieved?How can we manage scarcity of health care resources through more systematic priority setting?What value do we attach to life and health?Donaldson explains how economics provides many of the answers to such questions.The issues addressed in the book have global appeal, and, given its accessible style, will be attractive to general readers as well as health professionals and health policy specialists.