| Health Against Wealth: Hmos and the Breakdown of Medical Trust (G K Hall Large Print Book Series) | 
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Avg. Customer Rating:   (based on 1 reviews)
Sales Rank: 5010982
Category: Book
Author: George Anders
Publisher: Thorndike Press
Studio: Thorndike Press
Manufacturer: Thorndike Press
Label: Thorndike Press
Format: Large Print
Languages: English (Original Language), English (Unknown), English (Published)
Media: Hardcover
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 547
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1.9
Dimensions (in): 10 x 6.3 x 1.3
ISBN: 0783880545
Dewey Decimal Number: 362.104258
EAN: 9780783880549
ASIN: 0783880545
Publication Date: March 1997
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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| Editorial Reviews:
Product Description
The HMO system is supposed to stop greedy doctors and hospitals from viewing patients as sources of profit. But Health Against Wealth reveals that when you are confronting a medical emergency, the HMO system's cost-saving rules can jeopardize your life. This book, said the Cleveland Plain Dealer, is a "chilling portrait of the many ways in which HMOs can be hazardous to your health."
Amazon.com Review
If you have ever sought pre-approval for a necessary medical treatment, or have had problems arranging appointments with a specialist, or have seen a personal-care physician transferred to a distant clinic, George Anders's book on the growth of health maintenance organizations (HMOs) will confirm your worst fears. A reporter for the Wall Street Journal, Anders provides a series of horrifying case studies: a six-month-old baby who loses his hands and feet after a 42-mile journey to an HMO-approved emergency room; residents of a small town in Tennessee afflicted with an outbreak of a painful bowel infection who find that the drugs needed to suppress the epidemic are not covered; HMOs that select hospitals with low success rates for heart-bypass operations because of cost factors. Anders presents a powerful indictment of the emerging managed-care model for our national health-care system in this disturbing book.
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| Customer Reviews:
Balanced, unflinching examination of the health care system. January 11, 1998
8 out of 8 found this review helpful
As a journalist, not a health service provider, Mr. Anders brings credibility to his examination of our current health care system. His matter-of-fact style and even-handed presentation of the abuses of the traditional, fee for service model, the positive strengths of managed care, and the responsibility of the consumer in building a workable system further enhance his credibility. In this broad review of health care, Mr. Anders points out that the initial goal of managed care was to secure high quality, affordable, efficient health care by making sure patients received the right treatment by the right provider at the right time. He credits HMO's with redirecting medical priorities to preventive care away from costly, late-stage care. Mr. Anders discusses how the well-intended but inappropriate application of traditional business practices accidently created powerful loopholes and incentives for abuse, in part, because consumers and purchasers were naive about the great potential for unethical profiteering by managed care. The organization of the book makes the complicated issues in health care more understandable. Complex issues are discussed in separate chapters organized by topic areas such as emergency care, medicare and mental health care. Mr. Anders combines factual technical information with evocative personal testimonies from patients, providers, managed care executives and others. Mr. Anders' bottom line is that truly sick, vulnerable or atypical patients are poorly served by for-profit managed care. While Mr. Anders mainly focuses on the dark side of managed care, a great strength of the book is that he does not leave the reader feeling hopelesss or overwhelmed. In his final two chapters, he addresses quality and gives specific suggestions for building a balanced, better system. This easy read is an indispensible resource for those interested in promoting a health care system characterized by compassion, competence, and cost-effectiveness.
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