Overview

Despite intense political focus and debate for the past 10 years, Americans remain deeply worried about the availability and affordability of health care for themselves and their families. In clear and accessible prose, journalist Ryan Holeywell and medical doctor and health policy expert Arthur Garson provide Americans with the tools we need to have an honest, unbiased view of the state of health care policy in America. By fact checking 20 enduring health care myths they move the debate beyond Obamacare v. repeal and replace and give citizens the tools they need to evaluate the major policy issues confronting our health care system.

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9781538131183

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Reviews

Exposing the Twenty Medical Myths is an exceptionally informative account of the hugely complex and expensive American health care system. Tim Garson, MD, a national physician leader with vast expertise on health policy and a passionate commitment to making health care better for Americans, and Ryan Holeywell have written a fact-filled and thought-provoking book with important insights into American health care and various policy prescriptions for reform. Princeton economist Uwe Reinhardt, a listened-to voice on health policy in America and a long-time friend of Dr. Garson, would have applauded both their honorable intent for writing the book and the book itself. -- May Tsung-Mei Cheng, LLB, MA, Research Health Policy Analyst at Princeton University, Advisor to the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence International of the United Kingdom, Advisor to the China National Health Development Research Center (CNHDRC). Cheng was the wife of Uwe Reinhardt, to whom this book is dedicated. It is time for all Americans to help fix our health care and this book is a perfect place to start. It is written for the general public, but it contains plenty of new information and fresh ideas for those of us who have spent our working lives in the health care world. And it succeeds in being non-partisan, a real feat in today's polarized world. Garson's easy style makes even the deepest concepts readily accessible. Understanding these myths is well worth your time and attention. -- Donald M. Berwick, President Emeritus and Senior Fellow, Institute for Healthcare Improvement, and former Administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services The best new book that Illuminates the strengths and weaknesses of the entire Health care system is Garson's Exposing the 20 Medical Myths. It is clearly written FOR the public so the reader can not only understand the current system but it provides a unique lens to view the huge challenges just over the horizon. -- Raymond C. Scheppach, Former Executive Director National Governors Association, Project Director for the State Health Care Cost Containment Commission, Professor of Public Policy, University of Virginia I initiated a program at the Texas Department of Insurance to use plain language so that insurance would be easier to understand. Dr. Garson writes with the same goal in mind for healthcare. He's a healthcare thought-leader who breaks down complex issues in a way that's understandable and thought-provoking. -- Kent C. Sullivan, Commissioner, Texas Department of Insurance, former justice on the Texas Court of Appeals This book will get you a long way to understanding health care in a short amount of time. Dr. Garson uses his years of professional insight to explain why healthcare costs are so high, why we often can't the care we want or need, and the role that public policy can play in fixing the situation. I highly recommend this book for the public as well as both teachers and students studying health economics or health policy. -- Vivian Ho, Director of the Center for Health and Biosciences at Rice University's Baker Institute for Public Policy and serves as the James A. Baker III Institute Chair in Health Economics, as well as Professor in the Department of Economics at Rice University and a Professor in the Department of Medicine at Baylor College of Medicine. Dr. Garson has had extremely successful careers as a practicing physician, medical school Dean and University Provost, a national physician group leader and chair of the US Advisory Council on healthcare quality, a health policy institute director and a small business innovator. Each career has contributed to his knowledge base and thoughtfulness in creating this highly successful book. Exposing Medical Myths is a combination of being extremely thought provoking as well as filled with realism. Having the opportunity to interact with multiple medical regulatory authorities and health ministries around the world, I recognize that while this book is clearly directed to the ongoing US conversation about our healthcare system, it definitely can be used globally. I highly recommend this book for anyone involved in planning, teaching or or learning about healthcare delivery. This will serve a a great source not only in the US but also for those from overseas who want to understand US health care. -- William W. Pinsky, MD, FAAP, FACC, President and CEO of Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates (ECFMG), Chairman of the Foundation for Advancement of International Medical Education and Research (FAIMER), Professor (Hon.) University of Queensland (Australia)

Exposing The Twenty Medical Myths is the most important book on American healthcare yet. It is focused, clear, organized, cogent, helpful and fair to all. It is carefully written at a lowest common denominator level, with no five dollar words, no hyphenated Latin and no attempt to hide the diagnosis from the patient. . . . Exposing The Twenty Medical Myths is a remarkable achievement. In just 210 pages, it captures the essence of the situation and explains it rationally and fairly, backed by facts, figures and direct experience managing the system. It is a sane analysis of an insane nonsystem where the quality of patients' healthcare varies directly with the quality of their jobs. This is unique in the world and in no way desirable, fair or workable, but the edifice is so huge and convoluted, it pretty much has to continue. Insurers want to profit, government wants out, and patients are caught in the middle, paying more than 30% of their income for coverage at average figures. It's all just wrong, and the stats show it definitely isn't working. But now you will at least know why. * San Francisco Review of Books * Exposing the Twenty Medical Myths is an exceptionally informative account of the hugely complex and expensive American health care system. Tim Garson, MD, a national physician leader with vast expertise on health policy and a passionate commitment to making health care better for Americans, and Ryan Holeywell have written a fact-filled and thought-provoking book with important insights into American health care and various policy prescriptions for reform. Princeton economist Uwe Reinhardt, a listened-to voice on health policy in America and a long-time friend of Dr. Garson, would have applauded both their honorable intent for writing the book and the book itself. -- May Tsung-Mei Cheng, LLB, MA, Research Health Policy Analyst at Princeton University, Advisor to the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence International of the United Kingdom, Advisor to the China National Health Development Research Center (CNHDRC). Cheng was the wife of Uwe Reinhardt, to whom this book is dedicated. It is time for all Americans to help fix our health care and this book is a perfect place to start. It is written for the general public, but it contains plenty of new information and fresh ideas for those of us who have spent our working lives in the health care world. And it succeeds in being non-partisan, a real feat in today's polarized world. Garson's easy style makes even the deepest concepts readily accessible. Understanding these myths is well worth your time and attention. -- Donald M. Berwick, President Emeritus and Senior Fellow, Institute for Healthcare Improvement, and former Administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services The best new book that Illuminates the strengths and weaknesses of the entire health care system is Exposing the 20 Medical Myths. It is clearly written FOR the public so the reader can not only understand the current system but it provides a unique lens to view the huge challenges just over the horizon. -- Raymond C. Scheppach, Former Executive Director National Governors Association, Project Director for the State Health Care Cost Containment Commission, Professor of Public Policy, University of Virginia I initiated a program at the Texas Department of Insurance to use plain language so that insurance would be easier to understand. Dr. Garson writes with the same goal in mind for healthcare. He's a healthcare thought-leader who breaks down complex issues in a way that's understandable and thought-provoking. -- Kent C. Sullivan, Commissioner, Texas Department of Insurance, former justice on the Texas Court of Appeals This book will get you a long way to understanding health care in a short amount of time. Dr. Garson uses his years of professional insight to explain why healthcare costs are so high, why we often can't the care we want or need, and the role that public policy can play in fixing the situation. I highly recommend this book for the public as well as both teachers and students studying health economics or health policy. -- Vivian Ho, Director of the Center for Health and Biosciences at Rice University's Baker Institute for Public Policy and serves as the James A. Baker III Institute Chair in Health Economics, as well as Professor in the Department of Economics at Rice University and a Professor in the Department of Medicine at Baylor College of Medicine. Dr. Garson has had extremely successful careers as a practicing physician, medical school Dean and University Provost, a national physician group leader and chair of the US Advisory Council on healthcare quality, a health policy institute director and a small business innovator. Each career has contributed to his knowledge base and thoughtfulness in creating this highly successful book. Exposing Medical Myths is a combination of being extremely thought provoking as well as filled with realism. Having the opportunity to interact with multiple medical regulatory authorities and health ministries around the world, I recognize that while this book is clearly directed to the ongoing US conversation about our healthcare system, it definitely can be used globally. I highly recommend this book for anyone involved in planning, teaching or or learning about healthcare delivery. This will serve a a great source not only in the US but also for those from overseas who want to understand US health care. -- William W. Pinsky, MD, FAAP, FACC, President and CEO of Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates (ECFMG), Chairman of the Foundation for Advancement of International Medical Education and Research (FAIMER), Professor (Hon.) University of Queensland (Australia)

Author Information

Arthur “Tim” Garson enjoyed a successful career as a pediatric cardiologist before becoming a health policy advocate and leader. He is currently Director of the Health Policy Institute, an organization with 61 members including 26 hospitals and 4 medical schools. He has been President of the American College of Cardiology, Chair of the National Advisory Council of the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality and is an elected member of the National Academy of Science’s National Academy of Medicine. He is the author of Health Care Half Truths: Too Many Myths, Not Enough Reality (R&L, 2007). Ryan Holeywell covers state and national politics for Governing magazine.

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