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

~ (Author), M.D. (Author)
Key Phrases: more info, establish visit, branded medications, Special Tests, Mastering the Ten-Minute Doctor Office Visit, Meet Your Medical Team (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

Written by a practicing family physician employed by one of the nation's top healthcare organizations, Stay Healthy, Live Longer, Spend Wisely provides critical information readers need to make intelligent medical and financial decisions to not only increase their chances for good health but also to get the most value out of their healthcare dollars. It is the only book that simultaneously tackles both the medical and financial perspective of staying healthy. This easy-to-understand handbook provides the valuable insider tips on how to select a high-quality health insurance plan, how to make every doctor's visit productive, whether body scans, dietary supplements, or concierge physicians are worth the money, what and who are the various primary care and specialist physicians a person may encounter, the truth about generic and branded medications, and which tests, procedures, and actions must be done to stay well both physically and financially. As healthcare becomes increasingly expensive, confusing, and difficult to navigate, this book clears the clutter and provides readers with useful information they won't find anywhere else.

From the Publisher

From the Indianapolis Star, Feb 5, 2008 -

Which insurance plan is best for you? Is it worth paying more for a brand-name medication rather than generic? How can you get the most of your visits to the doctor? These questions and more are answered in Stay Healthy, Live Longer, Spend Wisely, written by Dr. Davis Liu, a family physician in California who also has a business degree. In an easy-to-understand format, he explains health savings accounts, getting the best possible health insurance coverage you can afford and the responsibilities of all the different types of doctors and specialists who treat patients.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 264 pages
• Publisher: Stetho Publishing; 1 edition (December 29, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0979351200
• ISBN-13: 978-0979351204
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.1 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #153,918 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Thousands die prematurely every year not due to medical errors, but to lack of preventive interventions, January 6, 2008

By	Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

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.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Great Guide during the Country's Healthcare Crisis, January 12, 2009

By	DGN - See all my reviews

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!

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Highly Recommend this book, November 29, 2007

By	J. S. Yep - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

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!!!