America's Health Care Crisis Solved: Money-Saving Solutions, Coverage for Everyone [Hardcover]

J. Patrick Rooney (Author), Dan Perrin (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 2, 2008

America’s Health Care Crisis Solved highlights the major pitfalls of our current health care system and shows why, without changes, health care costs will soon demolish the American economy as well as the opportunity to receive quality care. However, contrary to the increasingly popular idea of a government health plan, the alternative presented by authors J. Patrick Rooney and Dan Perrin brings the self-interest of you, the American consumer, into the equation.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"A welcome addition to the literature. Unlike many books written on health care these days, this one provides concrete assistance to real consumers. Pat Rooney and Dan Perrin should be congratulated for taking us to the next level of patient empowerment."--Consumers for Health Care Choices

Review

"America’s Health Care Crisis Solved is far and away the smartest solution yet offered to America’s number one domestic policy problem, the runaway cost of health care. The book’s genius is that it offers ideas so sensible and fair. It’s mandatory reading for those who believe that every American should have the health care they need, when they need it, at a price they can afford. Where others whine about problems, Rooney and Perrin offer a real solution."--Dean Clancy, former White House OMB official, who oversaw nearly $1 trillion in annual government health care expenditures

"It has been an open secret inside the Washington DC beltway that Rooney and Perrin have been working hand and glove to change health care policy for the last 20 years. They succeeded where some very smart and powerful people have failed. Whether you are a GOP or Democratic or independent voter, this book will help you to understand, in detail, the coming health care debate."--Scott W. Reed, Republican Strategist and Former Presidential Campaign Manager for Bob Dole

"Pat Rooney and Dan Perrin have already significantly changed the course of health care in the United States through Health Savings Accounts that put consumers and their physicians back in charge of their health care. America’s Health Care Crisis Solved is a must-read book, regardless of whether you are a Republican, Democrat, or Independent. This important book explains health care policy problems and reform in language that everyone can understand. It will provide insight into the coming health care debate leading up to the next Presidential election, and more importantly, in Congress after theelection."-->Roy Ramthun, formerly the senior health policy advisor to President George W. Bush regarding health care issues, and Senior Advisor to the Secretary of the U.S. Treasury for health initiatives

"Rooney and Perrin have written a first-rate, easily-readable book on the current health care crisis and provide a rational solution that does not bust the Treasury (or increase current spending!)--but they have even topped their own policy prescriptions with a commonsense set of tips to survive the crisis during the time it will take for our timid politicians to screw up the courage to adopt their conclusions."--Dr. Donald J. Devine, former director, Office of Personnel Management (the U.S. civil service), 1981-1985

Another major effort to reform the U.S. health care system is in the political wind, and we can only hope that those who want to make educated decisions about the ways to change the system will read this book. Rooney and Perrin reccomend changes with an eye towards reinvigorating personal initiative instead of constantly watering the entitlement tree. They just may save the system for our grandchildren before the baby boomers spend it all on themselves. --J. Kevin A. McKechnie
Staff Director, The HSA Council, part of the American Bankers Association

"Rooney and Perrin have accurately predicted every major trend in healthcare over the last several decades. In America's Healthcare Crisis Solved they do it again by attacking the healthcare problem with innovative solutions. It should be on the desk of every policymaker, and is a must-read for anyone interested in addressing the problems in America’s healthcare system."--Ed Corrigan
Executive Director, United States Senate Steering Committee

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 242 pages
• Publisher: Wiley; 1 edition (May 2, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0470275723
• ISBN-13: 978-0470275726
• Product Dimensions: 6.3 x 1.1 x 9.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,197,272 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Logical alternative to nationalized healthcare, May 14, 2008

By 

Tenna Merchent (Noblesville, IN USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: America's Health Care Crisis Solved: Money-Saving Solutions, Coverage for Everyone (Hardcover)

This book is written by Dan Perrin and Pat Rooney. Pat has been called both "the father of Medical Savings Accounts" and "the father of school choice." He's a well known maverick who comes up with ideas that seem incredibly radical, and after they are adopted, everyone thinks "Well, that was obvious." Well it's not when Pat first thinks of it.

If you only read one chapter, read chapter 5. In it they outline a plan for the government to pay for health insurance for everyone who doesn't already have government sponsored insurance with a tax credit. This isn't the typical "let's spend more of the taxpayers money because it's free." They want to pay for it by discontinuing the tax givebacks which in 2008 are estimated to be $260 billion.

The three things that make it work are:
1. It is refundable - you don't have to owe taxes to get the money.
2. It's advanceable - you don't have to wait for their tax refund to get the money.
3. It's assignable - the government can pay it directly to the insurance company.

I'm an herbalist and a naturopath, so I prefer that people exercise, eat right, take their vitamins, minerals and herbs and stay out of the doctor's office and the hospital. But there is a time and a place for western medicine. It is so expensive that you do need health insurance in case something catastrophic happens. In this book they are recommending that the government pay:
* $5,000 a year for a family.
* $2,000 a year for an individual.

This is the most logical plan I have heard. I would much prefer this to the nationalized healthcare that is seen in other countries where they ration healthcare because of budget constraints.

10 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars America - the Beacon. In time of Global healthcare crisis., May 6, 2008

By 

T. Gudava (Prague, Czech Rebublic) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: America's Health Care Crisis Solved: Money-Saving Solutions, Coverage for Everyone (Hardcover)

America's Health Care Crisis Solved: Money-Saving Solutions, Coverage for Everyone is very rare book. Unlike many others on the subject it is very easy to read, very easy to understand and very hard not to believe in. It goes to the root of the well-known domestic problem and hits the nail right on its head. The authors were writing this "compact" book with their lives. Legendary civil-rights champion Pat Rooney and known inside the beltway "locomotive" - Dan Perrin, dedicated their lives to do something decent and worthy in most not-transparent business in the US - murky health insurance world. They brought in "fair-care" approach,. They unmasked the hospitals "Wonderland" world where consumer's dollar devaluates and fluctuates in accordance with woodoo practices of the greedy managements.

Because of their sustained support and dedication the long legislative struggle finally gave birth to most appealing and sound healthcare product of the new century - Health Saving Accounts - HSAs. But what is their more important achievement is, that they did their best to unlock insurance best secret kept Pandora box and clear the way for further conservative healthcare innovations which so far is known by the term - Consumer Driven Health Care.

This laconic, as only the truth could be, book is a must-to-read book for healthcare crowd and bankers, politicians and everyone who is not indifferent to challenging future vis-à-vis most painful domestic problem. Unfortunately, like almost everything in our global world, healthcare crisis is also global. It is not exaggeration to say that there is no country on the face of the earth whose healthcare system is not in crisis. (I do not mean the very poor countries - they do not have healthcare at all). Great Britain calculated that if no changes made in couple of decades their GNP will be not enough to cover healthcare cost. Same problem in famous for its free healthcare - Canada, European countries and other's in developed world.

America remains the only super-power not because we produce more say, sneakers, but because we produce more technologies second to none. America's Health Care Crisis Solved unleashes innovative creativity not only domestically. Other countries working to solve their problems always were looking at us. And this book is a good beacon in eternal struggle - individualism and freedom vs. collectivism and so called equality. Strangely enough, let's admit, that this struggle is most pronounced here in the United States. Ironically, Hilary-care phenomenon could not even exist in former Soviet bloc countries. Because they do not want to hear about variations of governmentally managed "free" healthcare systems. They are sick of it, they've lived under it. No wonder countries like Poland, Czech Republic, Kazakhstan and others are in a process of adopting consumer driven healthcare approach including medical saving accounts.

For them America is still a beacon, and therefore for me authors of America's Health Care Crisis Solved are Great Americans, indeed.

TG - former recipient of Soviet "free healthcare"

8 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Governments Create Shortages, May 5, 2008

By 

R. Meldahl - See all my reviews
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This review is from: America's Health Care Crisis Solved: Money-Saving Solutions, Coverage for Everyone (Hardcover)

Why does the government only create shortages and surpluses? The answer is quite simple: by subsidizing producers, the government gives producers an incentive to increase supply above actual demand, creating a surplus, and, by subsidizing consumers (including health care consumers), the government gives consumers an incentive to increase demand above the actual supply, creating a shortage, or, in the case of our health care system, a crisis.

This book outlines a plan to give consumers an incentive to reduce their demand while assuring themselves of proper health care. This book is brilliant in its simplicity.