WhoKilledHealthCare:America's$2TrillionMedicalProblem-andtheConsumer-DrivenCure

InthebattleforU.S.healthcare,patientsanddoctorsarelosing.WhoKilledHealthCare?showshowtowinthewar.Oneofthenation'smostrespectedhealthcareanalysts,ReginaHerzlingerexposesthemotivesandmethodsofthosewhohavecrippledAmerica'shealthcaresystem-figuresintheinsurance,hospital,employment,governmental,andacademicsectors.Sheproveshowourcurrentsystem,whichisorganizedaroundpayersandprovidersratherthantheneedsofitsusers,isdangerouslyerodingpatientwelfareandispushingcostsoutofthereachofmillions.WhoKilledHealthCare?thenoutlinesHerzlinger'sboldnewplanforaconsumer-drivensystemthatwilldeliveraffordable,high-qualitycaretoeveryone.Byputtinginsurancemoneyinthehandsofpatients,removingthemiddlemaninthedoctor-patientrelationship,andgivingemployerscostrelief,consumersandphysicianswillbeempoweredtomakethesystemworkthewayitshould.HerzlingerdescribesinprecisedetailhowherinnovativeprogramwillprovideSmaller,disease-focusedmedicalfacilitiesthatprovidecompletecareforpatientsAnationalsystemofmedicalrecordsthatprovidesprivacywithconfidentialaccessbyapprovedpractitionersMandatoryperformanceevaluationsofallhospitalsandallothermedicalorganizationsMandatoryhealthinsurancewithsubsidiesforthosewhocannotafforditWhoKilledHealthCare?isacalltoarmsthatmustbeanswered;thewelfareofeveryAmericanhangsinthebalance.“Abrilliantanalysis…Amust-read.”–BillGeorge,Professor,HarvardBusinessSchoolandFormerCEOofMedtronic“Asitbecomesmoreandmoreobvioustoeveryonethatourcurrenthealthcaresystemisunsustainable,thisisthebookthathadtobewritten.”–DanielH.Johnson,Jr.MD,formerpresidentoftheAmericanMedicalAssociation“ReginaHerzlinger’sideastotacklethecrisisoftheU.S.healthcaresystemarebasedonkeenknowledgeofthesystem’sexistingdifficultiesalongwithinsightsthatintroducethereadertonewstreamlinedchoicesthathavethepotentialofgettingbothquantityandcostundercontrol.”–JosephKennedy,founder,chairman,andpresident,CitizensEnergyCorporation,CEO,CitizensHealthCare,formerrepresentative(D-Mass)“ReginaHerzlinger…offersavisionofthewaythingscanbe,shouldbe,andwillbesoonerorlater.Theonlyquestionis:howlongdowehavetowait?”–GregScandlen,founder,ConsumersforHealthChoices“RegiHerzlingerhasbrilliantlyarticulatedabetterway–embracingtheprinciplesofcompetitionandinnovationthatcauseeveryothersectorofoureconomytothrive.DischargingAmericanhealthcarefromtheICUcanonlyhappenbyputtingindividualAmericans–notpoliticiansandbureaucrats–backinchargeoftheirhealthcaredecisioins.”–U.S.SenatorTomCoburn(R-Okla),M.D.“FollowingontheheelsofherlandmarkMarket-DrivenHealthCare,Herzlingerlaysitonthelinewithherexposeofwhatmanywhoworkinthehealthcareindustryhavefeltintheirgut.Nowitisarticulatedinanentertainingandmust-readportrayal,withyouandmeastheonlywayout.”–DennisWhite,executivevicepresidentforstrategicdevelopment,NationalBusinessCoalitiononHealth“AwonderfulOrwellianrompthroughissueswhichcarryadeadlyirony.Thekillersofhealthcareare,ofcourse,thethirdparties,eachofwhichhasanitchypalmandacommitmenttoprofitorpowerwhichexceedsthecommitmenttoservice,witheachengagingtheotherswithinapoliticallyshapedbox.Rarelyhasthecaseforthepublicbeenmadewithsomuchforce,foresight,andwit,andabetterwayforwardshownsoclearly.”–JamesF.Fries,MD,ProfessorofMedicine,StanfordUniversitySchoolofMedicine“YoucanpracticallyhearthewarchantsasProfessorHerzlingersetsoutherviewofwhat’swrongwiththehealthcaresystemandhowtofixit.You’dbestreaditsoyoucandecidewhichsideyouwillbeonwhenthebattleisjoined.”–PaulLevy,CEO,BethIsraelHospital,Boston,MA“ReginaHerzlinger,thenation’sleadingexpertonconsumer-drivenhealthcare,hasgivenusabrilliantanalysisoftheflawsinourhealthcaresystemandwhatitwilltaketogetitbackontrack.Herlatestbookisamust-read.”–BillGeorge,ProfessorofManagementPractice,HarvardBusinessSchool,FormerCEO,Medtronic,andauthorofAuthenticLeadership“Youdon’thavetoagreewithherdiagnosisandprescriptionfortheU.S.healthcaresystem,butyoudohavetoreadherbook.Onceagain,ProfessorHerzlingerhasputtogetherawellresearched,wellwritten,andveryprovocativeblueprintforthefutureofhealthcare.”PeterL.Slavin,MD,President,MassachusettsGeneralHospital(20070709)