Health Against Wealth

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." How did the American health-care system reach this crisis point, and what can you do to protect yourself? The Breakdown of Medical Trust: Explore how the rise of managed care has systematically dismantled the doctor-patient relationship, replacing trust with suspicion and cost-benefit analysis. Denial of Care: Read the harrowing true stories of patients in crisis, including an infant boy whose life was permanently altered when his HMO’s rules delayed emergency treatment. The Business of Austerity: An inside look at how HMOs became a multi-billion-dollar industry by prescribing austerity for patients while rewarding executives with jets, yachts, and castles. A Patient Bill of Rights: Learn how to navigate the system, fight for your rights, and understand what it will take to build a better, more compassionate health-care system for everyone.