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coulterdaniel's review against another edition
informative
medium-paced
4.25
Content Warnings
Minor: Cancer, Drug abuse, Abortion, and Addiction
gray_05_sea's review against another edition
2.0
This book is a mess. The author pulls pieces from various well know historical examples of healthcare and public health including thalidomide, Tuskegee, passage of Medicare, Affordable care Act, antibiotics in World War II, adderall and ritelin, Act Up and AIDS, etc. The author frequently used the term medical industrial complex, seemingly just to repeat it. The parts about pharmaceutical industry were stronger, particularly with viagra where the author had a direct role. The policy suggestions at the book were also interesting but it never addressed the real challenge of getting to a single payer system. At the end of the day, there are FAR better books on American healthcare, and better books on every single topic he tried to cover. Would not recommend.
jules_vp's review against another edition
Personal life got in the way.. I will be picking this up, read up to 50% and was enjoying it
mad_taylh's review against another edition
hopeful
informative
medium-paced
4.5
"The simple fact is that nothing about our [healthcare] system was ever envisioned as a holistic way to logically and efficiently provide for the overall health and well-being of our nation's most valuable resource- our citizens."
nptausch's review against another edition
5.0
Anybody involved in the medical field, no matter how deep nor minor, needs to read this book. Incredibly enlightening and well-written with a thoughtful plan on how to improve our faulty healthcare system.
coreyln's review against another edition
5.0
Got this book before Covid-19 hit but reading during a world pandemic made it even easier to appreciate the author’s points about how the medical industry complex “MIC”. Four key aspects of the system: hospitals, pharmaceutical companies, insurance companies, and government are not helping as they should be (or we think).
The history of each of the MIC components is educational. I appreciated how the book was laid out to show how each is independent in their focus yet deeply intwined in what we have to date.
Dr Magee has a varied and extremely relevant experience from which I learned a lot and are rethinking a few things.
The history of each of the MIC components is educational. I appreciated how the book was laid out to show how each is independent in their focus yet deeply intwined in what we have to date.
Dr Magee has a varied and extremely relevant experience from which I learned a lot and are rethinking a few things.
anneaustex's review against another edition
5.0
Is the problem with health care in America caused by its being a profit driven business?
Is healthy business in direct competition with providing health care for all citizens?
“The AMA serves the financial interests of its members, not primarily the health and well-being of the American people.” Does this compromise the quality and cost of health care in our country? These issues and more are covered by a former industry insider and medical doctor. This is an interesting study of the Medical Industrial Complex and what many believe is a serious problem in our country today.
“The American system of [pharmaceutical] research is rife with unethical conduct and financial conflict of interest...studies have been conducted in underdeveloped countries on “children who were often gravely ill, undernourished and highly vulnerable...and where medical personnel have been really badly taxed.” These are major pharmaceutical companies with recognizable names and an industry driven by a profit motive.
“As Americans bear the brunt of high cost and low performance, every other developed nation far exceeds our rate of progress in dealing with such basics as infant mortality, immunizations, infectious disease rate, malnutrition, and sanitation.”
This book is for anyone who wants to take a peek behind the curtain of the medical establishment. The author is a knowledgeable industry expert and uses verifiable statistics and studies all well documented in endnotes. He closes the book with a multi-point plan to reform the existing medical coverage in this country.
Is healthy business in direct competition with providing health care for all citizens?
“The AMA serves the financial interests of its members, not primarily the health and well-being of the American people.” Does this compromise the quality and cost of health care in our country? These issues and more are covered by a former industry insider and medical doctor. This is an interesting study of the Medical Industrial Complex and what many believe is a serious problem in our country today.
“The American system of [pharmaceutical] research is rife with unethical conduct and financial conflict of interest...studies have been conducted in underdeveloped countries on “children who were often gravely ill, undernourished and highly vulnerable...and where medical personnel have been really badly taxed.” These are major pharmaceutical companies with recognizable names and an industry driven by a profit motive.
“As Americans bear the brunt of high cost and low performance, every other developed nation far exceeds our rate of progress in dealing with such basics as infant mortality, immunizations, infectious disease rate, malnutrition, and sanitation.”
This book is for anyone who wants to take a peek behind the curtain of the medical establishment. The author is a knowledgeable industry expert and uses verifiable statistics and studies all well documented in endnotes. He closes the book with a multi-point plan to reform the existing medical coverage in this country.