Health Care Meltdown: Confronting the Myths and Fixing Our Failing System (Hardcover)

~ Robert H. Lebow (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Review

"As a family physician who spent more than 30 years serving low-income clients at a community medical clinic in Idaho and a former president of Physicians for a National Health Program, LeBow was shocked by the abuses and cruelty of America’s healthcare system....LeBow makes a strong case for an economically sound, comprehensive national health program that includes all of our citizens. His clarion call for change is a necessary acquisition for all libraries. Library Journal (starred review), June 15, 2003 "

"LeBow, a physician, offers a timely book for the present and future problems facing the health care system in the US. In the introduction, the author lays out the elaborate topic of the health care system’s inevitable meltdown"" and how the system came to the present point. Complete bibliography; glossary.The author certainly achieves his goal of making readers aware of the problems that health care will be facing in the next ten years. Recommended."" "" Choice, January 2004 " --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

Product Description

It is no secret that health care in the United States is managed by a confusing welter of institutions, regulations, corporations and government agencies. Paperwork is rampant at every level, and much time and money are wasted while millions of people go without needed medical attention. For this "system" the U.S. spends about twice as much per capita as most developed countries.
In this book Dr. Bob LeBow tackles this monumental issue with clarity and forthrightness. His prescription for our health care quagmire is a national health program which includes universal coverage, as is the case in every other industrialized country. --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 304 pages
• Publisher: Alan C. Hood & Company; 1 edition (July 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0911469222
• ISBN-13: 978-0911469226
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (17 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #883,092 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

18 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Wealth of Clues to What is Wrong With Our Health System, February 13, 2003

By	Erwin B. Teuber, Ph.D. (Nampa, ID United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Health Care Meltdown: Confronting the Myths and Fixing Our Failing System (Paperback)

This book is is very timely and amazingly lucid on a topic seen by many as beyond comprehension. LeBow has sifted through the complexity and pinpointed the key players and the major causes of a system that has "melted down" - i.e. become dysfunctional for millions of Americans. The book documents how vested interests - people who make a great deal of money by maintaining the status quo - have systematically worked to keep Americans clueless about the extent of the health care meltdown, the causes of the meltdown, and the real story about feasible alternatives. One of the greatest values of the book is found in the opening chapter that identifies and examines thirteen myths that have been perpetuated about the American health care system. LeBow's contention is, quite correctly, that unless these myths get debunked, Americans are not likely to have the necessary will to fix the system. In fact, one of the myths is that old adage "We don't need to fix what isn't broken" applies to our health care system. LeBow's personal accounts of patients' experiences with our system illustrate poignantly just how broken it is. Fortunately, LeBow goes beyond the compelling critique to offer a solution, in the form of a single-payer, single risk-pool model. Recognizing the extent to which interest groups have propagandized the American public against such a model, he argues effectively that this is the ONLY model that will allow this country to resolve its access problems without spending even more on health care than we do already. His arguments are strong, his personal illustrations reinforce his points in well-chosen fashion, and he offers hope for something better. His book is somewhat of a primer for those who are motivated to work for change at a grass roots level, as well as at a macro level. And the reading is easy, on a complicated subject, including nice tight summaries of key points at the end of each chapter. Very worthwhile reading.

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Classroom Textbook, August 10, 2004

By	Ellie "Eloise Schwarz" (Wauwatosa, WI United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Health Care Meltdown: Confronting The Myths and Fixing Our Failing System (Paperback)

As an Adjunct instructor in the Concordia University system, I have had the opportunity to encourage my MBA students to read this book for my Special Topics in Health care class. After reviewing other possible textbooks during the last 6 months, I have decided to now use this text as the basis for my 8-week adult education class. Offering ample examples and 'myths' that portray our fractured health care system of today, this author has summarily provided a springboard for ongoing conversations and possible answers for this country. Granted all, the HC system will not be corrected for some time, but an accounting will be made when the public becomes a focused participant at the table.
As health care professionals, it is our responsibility to study, learn, participate and educate others, as well as ourselves.
This will begin that process and it will be well worth your effort and consideration.
Thank you
ESchwarz, RN, MBA, CCM

18 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars American Health Care Dissected: Engaging and Informative, November 3, 2003

By	Craig B. Little "CB" (Cortland, NY USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

In more than 20 years teaching a course focusing on analysis of American health care history and policy, I have yet to discover a more persuasive diagnosis of our health care delivery system's ills or a more convincing case for how to cure them. Dr. Lebow brings to this examination direct experience as a practicing physician from which he draws numerous stirring personal accounts. To his clinical perspective, he adds an extraordinary command of the broader economic and political issues essential for understanding the context and causes of America's current health care crisis epitomized by the alarming number of our country's uninsured--now about 44 million and growing. The book is honest, engaging, and sure to stimulate discussion with its clear prescription for change. With lively prose and strategically placed humor, he makes complex matters understandable. His humanity and passion are the earmarks of a brilliant teacher. Regardless of how deeply you presently understand America's health care system, you can learn from this book. And regardless of your political inclinations in respect to his advocacy of a single-payer solution, you can't ignore his meticulous presentation of the facts or the relentless logic of his conclusions from them.