Synopsis
An expose of America's for-profit hospital chains discusses how the chains turn away the uninsured, how communities lose when chains close local hospitals, why physicians and teaching hospitals become economic captives of the chains, and more
Reviews
Here, investigative journalist Lindorff (The New York Times, L.A.'s KCET-TV, etc.) foresees a brave new medical world in which control over health care passes ``from the local doctor and community--and from government--into the hands of corporate executives.'' With the appearance of Medicare in 1965, the money to be made in health care skyrocketed, and business was quick to respond--but today, Lindorff points out, our health-care system is in crisis. He looks at the growth of profit-driven hospital corporations (especially the four largest: Humana, Hospital Corporation of America, National Medical Enterprises, and American Medical International) and the effects of competition on health care--and, citing ample facts and figures, concludes that for-profit corporations will not solve the problems of rising costs and diminishing access by the poor. Lindorff deplores the negative impact he sees market-oriented hospital chains as having on patients, physicians, nurses, other hospital workers, communities, and government policy. Unlike Walt Bogdanich in The Great White Lie (p. 1252), Lindorff spends relatively little time examining the quality of care offered by hospitals in the US; indeed, he believes it's first-rate overall, at least for those people with insurance. His concerns are more with costs and access. Like Bogdanich, he has qualms about the carrot-and-stick approach used by some hospitals to entice/coerce doctors into supplying profitable patients, and recommends an end to the self- monitoring of hospitals through the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations. Unlike Bogdanich, however, Lindorff hopes that Americans will finally explore universal government-run, government-financed health care. An urgent warning to pay attention to what's happening to our health-care system and to take action before it's too late. -- Copyright ©1991, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.
Since the 1970s, privatized hospitals as the fastest growing profit industry have outpaced even the computer industry. Yet, by 1991 over 30 million Americans are uninsured and liable for shockingly inflated costs. Journalist Lindorff examines this phenomenon and looks at the changing physician/patient/hospital contracts as well as the impact on poor and middle-class healthcare consumers. His book clearly doesn't support privatization. The tradeoff for profit has been America's 21st place showing in UNICEF's infant mortality rate and first place for the highest cost. But the industry is still Wall Street news when a chief executive can earn $18 million in a year while keeping costs down through understaffing and selective screening of patients' pocketbooks. Cynical and irreverent, Lindorff's book is also timely. Highly recommended.
- Mary Hemmings, Univ. of Calgary Law Lib., Alberta
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc.
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