Synopsis "Make Healthcare Great Again: An Insider's Guide to Healthcare"
Make Healthcare Great Again takes a look at America's broken healthcare system from the perspective of the patient. The author, Dr. Edward Shaheen, an emergency physician and Diplomat of the American Board of Emergency Medicine, who has personally treated tens of thousands of patients, examines various aspects within healthcare. "Healthcare is complex but it does not need to be complicated." Dr. Shaheen does a great job at explaining, in plain language, the healthcare system that exists today in America. It will empower you to obtain better healthcare for yourself and your family and allow you to know what questions to ask, how to choose a doctor or hospital, and most importantly, how to live a healthier life. The author does a great job of breaking down the various "Healthcare Complex" players throughout the book. A common theme seems to emerge: 1) Patients are kept in the dark about healthcare. 2) Hospitals, insurers, drug companies etc. behaves in a manner that is best for themselves, not the patient. 3) Patients are paying more and getting less. 4) The public is being harmed because they are kept in the dark about healthcare and may not be sure about what to do. Dr. Shaheen's novel approach to medical care is described as "Patient-Obsessed(c)" Healthcare. Put the patient above everyone else in healthcare. Patients above the profits of, and the convenience to, those in healthcare. Use good judgment, common sense and the best information available to do whatever is best for the patient. Do whatever is best for patients and a close second, do whatever is best for the people who take care of patients. By following this philosophy, things tend to work out much better for everyone. Dr. Shaheen calls out the "Healthcare Complex" made up of insurance companies, hospitals, doctors, pharmaceutical companies, imaging centers, pharmacies, staffing companies, government, etc. He explains why each behaves the way they do and then offers innovative and simple solutions that can be done to revolutionize healthcare and make it better for patients and the public. He emphasizes people having the freedom to choose, incentives and disincentives to encourage better choices and discourage bad decisions and believes accountability in healthcare is very important for it to be successful and sustainable. He discusses the specifics and shows ways we can lower costs immediately and improve healthcare for the long term. He also discusses many talked about topics such as Telemedicine, "Medicare For All," "surprise billing" and introduces game changing ideas such as Hybrid Life-Health Insurance and Direct Care Organizations that will incentivize insurance companies to help make you healthier as opposed to minimizing what tests or procedures to authorize or that could revolutionize healthcare entirely and make healthcare so simple and potentially save trillions of dollars while making access easier and more convenient.Make Healthcare Great Again can serve as a great medical reference to any household. It will help you know what to ask and look for when dealing with insurance companies, hospitals, doctors, etc. The book includes a useful glossary to help you understand many terms used by insurers, hospitals, doctors or others that may confuse us. Dr. Shaheen demonstrates great courage and unselfishness in writing this book as he exposes some of the "darkness" that exists in healthcare that prevents patients from knowing important and valuable information that would likely influence their decisions and choices. Dr. Shaheen went into medicine to help people. Now he is combining his love of people, medicine and knowledge to put forward what he has learned in hopes of helping more than he otherwise might. Make Healthcare Great Again is a must read for anyone who wants better health and a better healthcare system.
