Health Against Wealth

The HMO system is supposed to stop greedy doctors and hospitals from viewing patients as sources of profit. But in this powerful piece of investigative journalism, 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."

Based on years of reporting from a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist, this unflinching look at the American health-care system reveals:

• The Breakdown of Medical Trust: Explore how the rise of managed care has dismantled the doctor-patient relationship, turning physicians into gatekeepers and patients into profit centers.
• Denial of Care in a Crisis: Read the harrowing, true stories of patients in emergencies—from a baby with a life-threatening infection to women fighting for cancer treatment—who were failed by cost-saving rules.
• Profit Over Patients: Go inside the boardrooms of multi-billion-dollar health plans to see how decisions are made, where your premium dollars really go, and how the quest for profits can jeopardize your health.
• A Call for Healthcare Reform: Discover a clear-eyed assessment of what’s broken in our medical system and find actionable ideas for building a better, more trustworthy system for everyone.

"Chilling." The Washington Post

"Investigative journalism at it's best." The Philadelphia Inquirer

"A staff writer for the explains how the cost-cutting measures taken by health maintenance organizations can thwart necessary life-saving treatment. He explains why managed care is so appealing to employers and insurers, and how profit-hungry entrepreneurs have swarmed into the industry and manipulated legislation and regulation with powerful lobbying." Booknews, Inc.