How To Avoid Being a Victim of the American Healthcare System: A Patient's Handbook for Survival

As a Nurse Practitioner I know how valuable the information in this book is. I especially found the information on “making your wishes known” and prescriptions detailed but easy to understand for the average person. This is great read to help you navigate the healthcare system. It would also be a good gift for an older family member as a way to open the door to have what can be a difficult conversation about their medical care including a healthcare proxy or DNR.

This is a fantastic book for the everyday American, especially those who are elderly or medically fragile. People enter into a completely foreign area when being admitted to the hospital. Lots of acronyms and big nearly unintelligible words are thrown around like everyone has a medical license. This will help you to understand some of that and how to cope with the rest. If for no other reason, go read part II that discusses insurance and other financial matters. This is info everyone should know. This book is gold. I just ordered one for my elderly parents that live out of state and are about to start some serious medical treatments. Highly recommended.

"Medical errors are the third leading cause of death in this country." (p. 165)If you read books for golden nuggets, this book has a few of those plus a bunch of other helpful tips in navigating the mess of a system we call health care in America. And, if you're rich, the problems affect you equally.

It's so sad that we have to arm ourselves with this information. I wish I'd known even a fraction of the helpful tips in this book before I fell from a ladder last summer and fractured my ribs. Very little was done to help me by the health care system, but I will be paying the $8000 bill I was stuck with even WITH INSURANCE for many years to come. Had I known what a nightmare the health care system has become, I would have been armed with questions about prices for procedures and medications that I did not need. Unfortunately, when you have an accident, and you are in pain and scared for your life, it's not the time to stop and learn about this corrupt and horribly mismanaged health care system. I was treated horribly by a doctor and 2 nurses and bullied into taking an ambulance from urgent care to the hospital. I had no idea that my insurance would only cover emergencies at specific urgent care centers and went to the wrong one, which was right across the street from the one that was in-network. I also didn't know that my insurance company would only cover Ambulance services from specific companies, so I was stuck with a $1400 ambulance bill when I could have driven myself, just as I drove myself to the urgent care center 3 prior days in a row. The 3rd visit was due to a medication the doctor prescribed the day before that made me sick and all I wanted was to get nausea under control, which was easily done with anti-nausea medicine, but because I was alone and very intimidated by the way the doctor and 2 nurses were treating me, even sending a police officer with me to my car so I could get my laptop, I was scared to say no. I really needed an advocate to help me during such a vulnerable and scary time. Please don't wait to read this book until after the fact like I did! I see so many things in this book that would have saved me all of the aggravation and pain and financial hardship I now have to figure out.

Dr. Wilcox does an amazing job of distilling down the complex world of healthcare into a book that everyone can understand. This book is full of information that everyone who interacts with the American healthcare system needs to know. We all need to be a healthcare advocate for our friends, family, and ourselves - this book will help prepare you for that role.

After reading this book, I immediately ordered one for my 78 year old father who lives 750 miles away from me. This review is on behalf of him, as he doesn’t have an Amazon account (mainly because he doesn’t navigate technology well).My father said, “I never realized the complexity of the way our health is ran in America. I just figured that you always do what the doctor or the nurse tells you to do because they know & I don’t. Being a veteran, I’ve always relied on the V.A. to take care of me. A lot of times, I don’t understand the medical terminology & I can’t always understand what they are saying to me regarding my results, treatments, & even medicines. I often have felt like questioning the medical professionals almost feels like a disrespect to them. After reading this book, I now have more control in my healthcare & I’m able to properly inform my loved ones. I want to thank Dr. David Wilcox for giving me knowledge about how my healthcare is managed & the power that I can have over it!”

I received my copy of this book prior to discovering i was going to face a surgical procedure. I was able to go to the consultation with the surgeon educated about the important details I should cover with the doctor before the procedure. This book has critical information for everyone.

As a clinician, Dr. Wilcox offers an insightful perspective of the health insurance industry. He offers many helpful tips and resources to guide patients through successfully navigating the health care system. This is a must read for all patients to better understand the healthcare insurance system process and providing a proper resolution of patient billing.