Customer Reviews

Making A Killing: HMOs and the Threat to Your Health

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Have you had problems with medical providers and the organizations that control your access to health care? This book tells how the system works, and unveils the politically correct industry phrases, explaining what they really mean. The book is full of well documented cases that will make your hair stand on end. The authors do not skirt the issues -- they confront them head on, with practical suggestions on how to survive the health care "industry." There are excellent resources listed for those who want to further research these issues. This book moved me to tears, and I only wish that the book were fiction instead of fact, but the truth is that there are atrocities being committed every day. My heartfelt thanks to all of the victims, or in some cases, their survivors, for sharing their experiences with the reader. Don't believe it couldn't happen to you, and if you're not actually in an HMO, you will still benefit from this book.

My mother was the victim of a denial for a procedure. The doctor's name and the HMO who denied the procedure are in the book. The denial was ultimately overturned in the "review process." However, it was too late for her. She suffered needlessly for months, and died. A classic example of something described in the book.

This book was a gift. I started casually reading the first several pages not knowing what to expect. As I read, I am more outraged and sickened about HMOs, than I have been for the past year. I have had to set the book aside on several occasions until I could calm down enough to read more.

I have worked in the medical field for almost thirty years. I am now quite convinced I should change professions and I have not yet finished the book. Better yet, counterattack from within!

I highly recommend reading this book. I truly sympathize with the individuals who have been victimized and survived, and can certainly relate to the victims' families.

"Making a Killing" finally pulls back the curtain on the life-threatening scam that is the managed care industry. This is a must-read for any managed-care member or anyone who cares about a managed care plan member. The book uses compelling stories of victims of HMO and managed care abuse to show what we can all really expect from these organizations when we are truly ill. The book puts the entire current healthcare system into context. It explains that managed care is really about draining dollars from the healthcare system to fatten corporate coffers on Wall Street, and patients be damned! It explains what most consumers don't understand about how their healthcare premiums are used. It provides explanations of the role of monied special interests in healthcare, discusses the government's failure to protect the public, and the insurance industry's intense effort to usurp the Constitutional rights of their members. Most importantly, it also provides a call to action for change for all of us who are fed up with the current industry's offerings of third world medicine at premium prices. The forward by Ralph Nader should be endorsement enough for anyone interested in consumer issues. The book is extremely well annotated and believeable. The information it contains could very well save your life or the life of someone you love. In short, a very compelling read!

Jamie Court writes a book notable both for its lucid prose and understandable analysis. Court, a consumer advocate and recognized expert on healthcare issues, here examines and critiques the strengths and weaknesses of the prevalent American healthcare system. Particularly interesting is his analysis of the motivations of HMO management and the ways they seek the profit motive. Court methodically details why the system's priority is not maximizing the patient's health, but controlling cost by limiting the use of resources.

Court and Smith do not forget the human face of those injured by this industry and bring them to life with a number of moving anecdotes. These tragic cases, however, are not what is at the heart of this important book. These anecdotes serve well because they are clearly not breakdowns in the system but rather it accomplishing its goal of increasing profit at any "cost."

I was stunned to learn of the lengths that HMO's will go to make an extra buck at the expence of patient care. Court and Smith clearly have done their homework on HMO abuses, but have also given the reader tools to fight back. When will our elected leaders heed their warnings and enact laws that protect patients against the abuses laid out in this book? I know I'm prepared to stand up and fight!

This book is a page turner from start to finish! A must read for anyone accessing the American health care system. By explaining the logistical and legal complexities of HMOs through the real-life experiences of patients and health care professionals, the authors have done what I have not seen to date -- they have presented a reasoned and well-documented explanation of the current state of health care in the United States, how we got here, and what must be done to repair the system.

My mother was the victim of a denial for a procedure. The doctor's name and the HMO who denied the procedure are in the book. The denial was ultimately overturned in the "review process." However, it was too late for her. She suffered needlessly for months, and died. A classic example of something described in the book.

This book was a gift. I started casually reading the first several pages not knowing what to expect. As I read, I am more outraged and sickened about HMOs, than I have been for the past year. I have had to set the book aside on several occasions until I could calm down enough to read more. I have worked in the medical field for almost thirty years. I am now quite convinced I should change professions and I have not yet finished the book.

I highly recommend reading this book. I truly sympathize with the individuals who have been victimized, and can certainly relate to the victims' families.

This is an excellent reference book for anyone who is a member of any of the California HMO's... What you will learn is that you will

have do be Very Sharp at knowing if you are getting Excellent Medical care or if you are getting Horrible Sub-Standard Medical care... The California HMO's will place you as a patient as a "Low Priority" on their "Business Plan List" and Profits & Income are always considered a #1 "High Priority Item" and will always be at the Top of this same List... So get this book and make sure that You are getting The Professional and Correct Medical Care "You" and "Medicare" are Paying for because Your Life depends on this... --- And also "Do Not Forget" --- There are many Medical Malpractice Disasters at these HMO's that You will Never Hear About --- So Keep Your Guard up ...

This book gave me insight into the world of HMO healthcare that everybody should have. It paints a sobering picture of the state of American medical care and the corporate drive to put profits ahead of patients. Not only are the stories compelling and the recommendations sensible, it provides a very helpful "how-to survive managed care" guide that I have already used in recent dealings with my HMO's bureaucracy.

I'm not really good at reviews, so all I'll say is that i was trully intersted while reading it.