Customer Reviews

Stay Healthy, Live Longer, Spend Wisely: Making Intelligent Choices in America's Healthcare System

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Thousands die prematurely every year not due to medical errors, but to lack of preventive interventions - and the wrong healthcare choices. Stay Healthy, Live Longer, Spend Wisely tells how to make the right treatment choices, from assessing alternative therapies to locating the right doctor, maximizing doctor visits, and asking for the right screening procedures. It places health care responsibility in the consumer's hands by providing basic details and is suitable for any general-interest lending library strong in consumer health issues.

I had my share of moments when the current healthcare system (or lack thereof) has made me think twice about going to a doctor. This book is a well-organized, straight-forward look at the healthcare system, and what you need to know to navigate it. It offers helpful tips about when you don't really need to see a doctor, and when you really should. It also offers an easy explanation of the types of healthcare and insurance providers you may come across while navigating the system.

The most important thing I found in this book, however, was the writer's encouragement to take charge of our own health and our own care. In fact, my mom had a diagnosis shortly after I read this book and her doctor seemed to be acting rather slowly with treatment. It was this book's encouragment that had me press her to seek other opinions, and she was able to get the treatment she needed, and quickly. When I was done with the book, I passed it along to her. Now I wish I had kept it as a reference, because every home should have it!

I highly recommend this book for everyone who wants to take good care of themselves without going broke.

This book is filled with lots valuable information. It has everything you need to know when choosing a health plan, how to get the most of that plan, how to take care of yourself and how to save some money while taking care of yourself. Everytime I pick up the book, I learn something new!

I really liked the layout of the book. It is easy to find information by using the detailed table of contents. Each chapter ends with a "Take Home Points" which summarized the key points. The "Real Life Examples" are entertaining to read and also drive home the point the author is trying to make. As a mother of a newborn, I don't have long periods of uninterrupted time to read. The layout of the book makes it easy to read a few sections at a time while still picking up on valuable advice.

This is a great book to read as well as using it for reference purposes. Websites are also listed for the reader if they get more information on a certain topic.

Would make a great holiday present for anyone!!!

I currently work for a managed care plan and what Dr. Liu is saying completely makes sense, including a physician's credentials and managed care's NCQA accreditation status. Also crucial to one's own well-being is taking responsibility and being proactive, not sitting back and assuming your health care plan is doing everything they should be doing.

This book is easy to read, I also like how the bullet/main points really stand out in the book and the personal anecdotes makes this an interesting read. This is a definite must for readers that are interested in knowing how to choose quality health plans, physicians, and medical procedures.

Dr. Liu's book combines a great amount of practical advice with answers to questions that doctors, unfortunately, don't always have the time to answer. In basic, simple terms, Dr. Liu provides not only a great overview of what's what in the health care world, but how to navigate the system, questions to ask your doctor, and how to make your health care dollar go further. This is a must read for anyone interested in their health or the health of their loved ones. Very well done.

I enjoyed this quick and easy read, particularly with the parts concerning how to maximize my time at my (hopefully now more frequent) doctor's visits. I think often times, when ill, the last thing on your mind is trying to communicate clearly to someone who is trying to help you, and Dr. Liu astutely gives advice on what to say and do at your next visit with your doctor.

Combined with easy to read bullet points, interesting facts and what I felt most interesting - personal anecdotes and case studies that he has experienced - I highly recommend this book without hesitation for anyone who is trying to learn more about staying healthy.

This is a book that will easily pay for itself . I learned a great deal on ways to save money , but much more important , I learned a better way to stay healthy . Having this book as a must read would be the first step to our nation's positive health reform . I rate this book higher than the five star choice .

The US healthcare system is broken---I don't know of anyone who disputes this idea. Patients are getting less time and attention; costs are going up; meanwhile, doctors are getting lower reimbursements and having greater demands placed on them by insurance companies if they want to keep what reimbursements they're getting. In this system, everyone loses:

"To provide health care, one needs to balance three interrelated factors: access, cost, and quality. The unfortunate truth is that only two of the three can be optimized. ... The worst scenario would be to provide limited access and low quality at a high cost. This, currently describes our healthcare system."

It's nice and all to talk about what the ideal healthcare system might be, but the unfortunate truth is that as patients, we need to concentrate on making the most of what exists right now. And that means being educated about what our options are, how best to take care of ourselves, and how to best make use of the healthcare resources available to us.

This is what Dr. Davis Liu set out to do in Stay Healthy, Live Longer, Spend Wisely---educate us as to how best to take advantage of the current, flawed health care system. The amount of information in this book is vast; I highly recommend looking through the table of contents if you want a detailed run-down.

Overall, I do recommend this book if you would like to become well-informed about your healthcare options and how to make the most of them. My only real reservation is that it's dry enough at the beginning and pitched at a high enough intellectual level that many of the people who could really benefit from it won't end up reading it.

It seems as if navigating America's health care system continues to get more complex with each passing year. Dr. Davis Liu's book, Stay Healthy, Live Longer, Spend Wisely: Making Intelligent Choices in America's Healthcare System, presents a practical guide to how best to steer your way to an excellent relationship with your health care professionals while not going bankrupt in the process.

Contents:
Part 1 - The Most Important Policy You Will Ever Own: Health Insurance, Savings Accounts, and Cost; Consumer Driven Health Plans (CDHPS), Health Savings Accounts (HSAS), and Personal Responsibility; The Quality of Your Health Insurance Matters!; Do Your Homework. Question Everything and Pay Nothing (Right Away); You're On Your Own; Health Care Costs - How Much Does It Cost For Procedures and Tests?
Part 2 - Mastering the Ten-Minute Doctor Office Visit: The Importance of a Medical History; Providing The Perfect History; Know Yourself - Your Personal Medical History; Make Every Office Visit Count; Informed Consent - Is It OK With You?; Don't See Your Doctor
Part 3 - Do The Right Thing Regularly and Repeatedly: The Prudent Approach To Staying Healthy; American Cancer Society; Cancer Guidelines for Women; Cancer Guidelines for Men; Cancer Guidelines for Women and Men; American Heart Association (AHA); American Diabetes Association (ADA); U.S. Preventative Services Task Force (USPSTF); Immunizations and Vaccinations; Happy Birthday to You; Denied Coverage? Reimbursement Letter
Part 4 - Meet Your Medical Team: Your Health Advisors - Physicians; Internists and Family Physicians; Specialists; Medical Specialties; Surgical Specialties; Other Primary Care Fields; Other Specialties; What's the Deal with DOs (Doctors of Osteopathic Medicine)?; Other Providers; Office Settings
Part 5 - The Truth About Medications: The Magic Pills; Generic and Branded Medications - What's The Difference?; Partnering With Your Doctor - Having a Frank Discussion; Making Sense of Over-The-Counter (OTC) Medications
Part 6 - Caveat Emptor, Or "Let the Buyer Beware": Concierge Care; Body Scans; Herbal and Dietary Supplements
Part 7 - Twenty-First Century Medical Care: Looking Forward - Trends Redefining Health Care; Hospitalists; Group Visits; Evidence-Based Medicine
Part 8 - Take Control - Excellent Health Pays: Self-Serve Health Care; Stay Healthy; Using the Internet for Research; The Future of America's Health Care
Appendix - Referenced Web Sites; Notes; Index

Dr. Liu has created an excellent guide that covers virtually all the moving parts of the American health care system that you as a consumer will deal with. Even better, he does so without pushing an overt agenda or offering some "secret method" for making it all work. He acknowledges that the system can be confusing and frustrating, but knowledge is key in making effective choices. He's big on making sure you have your own version of a personal health record that you can quickly present to a doctor to summarize your health history. Given the current focus on electronic personal medical records, this makes a lot of sense. He also ends each section with a "Take-Home Points" summary, a convenient list of action items that reinforce all the information just covered as well as making it easy to put into action the points you just learned. There are also a number of sidebar insets throughout the pages that highlight certain key points in a sentence or two, making it easy to skim back through the book to pick up the pertinent facts.

This is a book I'd have no problem recommending to someone trying to get a grasp on making sense of the health care maze in America. That should include just about everyone. It's balanced, practical, and deals with reality instead of a nirvana that doesn't exist. Nice job...

[...] This is one of the most informative books on helping you understand the Healthcare System in America. Dr. Liu tells you how to get the most out of your visit at the doctor's office. He also covers the diferent specialties and what to expect if you have no insurance. This book is a must if you want to get the most from your doctor for our money.