A medical doctor turned healthcare journalist unravels the network of mutually beneficial relationships among big business, academic medicine, patient advocacy organizations, hospitals, and government—also known as America's Medical Industrial Complex—and offers a compelling way forward for transforming America's healthcare system.
...Mike Magee dredges up...many [anecdotes] to show readers that the present dysfunction in U.S. health care is not an aberration, but a persistent feature of a system ruled by self-interested institutions ... The book exposes how doctors, drug companies, hospitals, pharmacies, insurers, lawmakers and special interests have colluded over the years to protect their own turf and profits, despite relentless public demand for a system that serves patients instead of entrepreneurs ... Magee’s insight is based on his deep personal experience with the health care industry ... Hospitals don’t take as critical a lashing as other players in the book, but the material that is included is strong. Magee’s insider recounting of the 'Philadelphia hospital wars' of the 1990s offers a juicy account of being pursued by an unwanted buyer ... the material on Big Pharma is where the book cuts deepest.
Hospitals use 'code blue' for medical emergencies; longtime physician Magee argues convincingly that the U.S. itself is in one ... What’s the solution? Among other things, Magee recommends suspending FDA-approved direct-to-consumer advertising and giving basic universal coverage to everyone. Will his seemingly wise wishes ever come true? Stay tuned.
...a searing and persuasive exposé of the American health care system ... The inferiority of U.S. health care compared to dozens of other nations has been well-documented for several decades, and the author effectively builds on that documentation ... Readers will hope that Magee’s knowledgeable, urgent indictment, following so many others in recent years, will lead to meaningful reforms.
