Power To The Patient

"This book looks at three key elements of health care costs - third-party payment, the realities of growth in medical spending, and the medical liability system - and offers thoughtful, realistic suggestions to help stem the tide of rising expenses for everyone.". "Scott W. Atlas proposes changing the nature of health care insurance so that patients make direct payments to their health care providers. The critical focus, he says, should be on empowering the patient by putting consumers in charge of their money and letting them make cost-conscious decisions about spending health care dollars. Daniel P. Kessler reviews the current debate over the medical liability system, examining three areas of proposed reforms: limits on liability, "patients' bill of rights" proposals, and alternative reforms such as medical practice guidelines, dispute resolution, and no-fault insurance. Mark V. Pauly looks at the reasons real medical spending has increased and concludes that it is virtually impossible to lower costs without lowering quality of care."--BOOK JACKET.