Why Comprehensive
Reform is Needed
Robert A. Levine, M.D.
“So let me be
clear. If we do not control these
[health care] costs, we will not be able
to control our deficit.”
—President Barack
Obama in his July 22, 2009 press
conference.
America
spends more per person on healthcare
than any other nation: 17 percent of the
economy or $2.5 trillion – and rising.
In spite of this, America’s health
outcomes from infant mortality to life
expectancy are lower than most other
developed nations and 47 million people
are uninsured.
Relying
on the free market has led to escalating
costs, more government spending, budget
deficits and unfunded liabilities. The
U.S. spends more than $1 trillion on
unnecessary care and administrative
costs of the $2.5 trillion spent
annually on health care. But Dr. Robert
Levine, author of SHOCK THERAPY FOR
AMERICA’S HEALTH CARE SYSTEM: Why
Comprehensive Reform is Needed, has
a new approach straight from the
trenches.
Dr.
Levine, a practicing neurologist, former
Chief of Neurology at Norwalk Hospital
in Connecticut and Associate Clinical
Professor of Medicine at Yale University
Medical School, presents a clear
diagnosis of the problems plaguing our
health care infrastructure and explains
the roles of the various parties –
insurance companies, big pharmaceutical
companies, hospitals, health care
providers and patients.
His
assessment includes:
-
An
explanation of why comprehensive
reform is absolutely vital to the
nation’s well being and economic
health as well as the consequences
of forgoing reform.
-
A
unique program of universal coverage
and improved care that will add no
additional cost to the government or
taxpayers.
-
Areas in our current system where
huge savings could be found.
-
A
no-holds-barred look at the
obstacles the opposition will
present.
Levine
asserts that in order to cut
administrative costs we need a
single-payer system and to put all
physicians on salary to prevent
profit-driven medical practices. He
suggests creating an agency like the
Federal Reserve Board to control these
changes. In spite of almost certain
allegations of “socialized medicine” and
government interference in medical care,
the author shows why we need to enact
these reforms to control spending,
budget deficits and national debt.
SHOCK
THERAPY FOR AMERICA’S HEALTH CARE SYSTEM
proposes
the following specifics including:
-
Extension of Medicare to provide
universal access to health care in a
single-payer system
-
Universal Medicare run by a Federal
Medicare Board
-
Universal Medicare with a fixed
budget
-
Regional entities managing care in
different geographic areas
-
Electronic health records for all
patients
-
Malpractice reform to curtail
defensive medicine and combat
negligence
Dr. Levine backs his
proposals with hard facts and shows how
we can avert economic disaster by
providing achievable and affordable
healthcare reform for every American.
Reviews:
“Dr. Robert A. Levine has written a
timely and provocative book on the
health care crisis in the United States.
Based on his 30 plus years of experience
as a practicing neurologist, Dr. Levine
has witnessed many changes in the
delivery of medical care in our country,
some good and some not so good. In his
eminently readable style, he reviews the
history of medical training in this
country, the development of our current
day hospital system and the many
problems he and others have detected in
our medical insurance nightmare. Dr.
Levine offers his thoughts on potential
solutions to help improve health care
delivery and backs up his advice with
carefully researched data. This book is
a must-read for both health care
providers and consumers.”
—Peter F. Cohn, M.D., Professor of
Medicine, S.U.N.Y., Stony Brook,
Chairman of Cardiology, Emeritus
“Dr. Levine has done a wonderful job
laying out the issues relating to the
American health care system. While the
media have been filled with angst
regarding the “crisis” in our health
care system, he carefully explains what
the crisis is all about. It is written
in a lively manner that will appeal to
scholars, legislators, health care
providers and lay readers alike.
After spelling out some significant
myths that are held by the public and by
policy makers that would make reform
unlikely unless they are revealed, he
objectively describes the evolution of
the current system and the roles played
in it by the physicians, hospitals, the
pharmaceutical industry, the trial bar
and others, all of whom with significant
material and professional stakes in
shaping or resisting any possible
reforms. As both a researcher and
practicing neurologist his goal is to
set the table for a series or reforms
that he believes can bring modern health
care practices to those in need of
medical assistance, in a rational,
cost-effective and egalitarian manner.
Dr. Levine’s proposal is at heart
pragmatic, rejecting the dogmatic
prescriptions of those who argue that
the solution must either be market-based
or fully government owned and managed.
His proposal for reform is well worth
considering and debating, though it is
probable that it will run into
controversy from many of the special
interest groups. It is likely that this
book will play a role as the debate over
health care reform heats up.”
—Peter S. Barth, Ph. D., Professor
of Economics, Emeritus, University
of Connecticut
“Robert Levine has written a highly
intelligent and provocative analysis of
the current ‘out of control’ state of
the United States health care system. He
provides a comprehensive view of how the
country got into this mess and proposes
a controversial creature “Universal
Medicare” to cure the problem. Many will
find his chapters on the Evolution of
The American Health Care System
informative, his analysis of the current
problems clear eyed and his proposed
solution daring. Worth the read.”
—Leopold Swergold, Trustee of a
major New York City Hospital System (17
years)
About the Author:
Dr. Robert A.
Levine
is a neurologist in private practice in
Norwalk, Connecticut and the author of
Defying Dementia and Aging
with Attitude, winner of a Choice
Award of the American Library
Association.
