An American Sickness: How Healthcare Became Big Business and How You Can Take It Back

The U.S. health-care system isn't just sick, it is diseased, according to Rosenthal, a journalist and former emergency room doctor. The cause goes beyond the usual suspects—insurers, drug and medical device makers, and politicians and regulators. It also includes the noble professions and institutions that made the American medical system honorable. From doctors, nonprofit hospitals, charitable foundations, and advocacy organizations, the American health care system is under attack. "No one player created the mess that is the $3 trillion American medical system in 2017," Rosenthal writes. She traces the history of American medicine and details the ten economic rules of the dysfunctional medical market that led to our runaway health-care costs. Weaving in relevant and powerful personal accounts from real people, Rosenthal peels back the layers of the American disease and demonstrates how easily patients can be unknowingly duped. Narrator Nancy Linari's smooth and balanced voice exudes confidence through the nitty-gritty facts but inspires empathy in the personal stories of individuals struggling with the health-care system.