Worried Sick

At a time when access to health care in the United States is being widely debated, the author argues that an even more important issue is being overlooked. Although necessary health care should be available to all who need it, he says, the health-care debate assumes that everyone requires massive amounts of expensive care to stay healthy. Nortin Hadler's clearly reasoned argument surmounts the cacophony of the health care debate. Hadler urges everyone to ask health care providers how likely it is that proposed treatments will afford meaningful benefits and he teaches how to actively listen to the answer. Each chapter of Worried Sick is an object lesson on the uses and abuses of common offerings, from screening tests to medical and surgical interventions. By learning to distinguish good medical advice from persuasive medical marketing, consumers can make better decisions about their personal health care and use that wisdom to inform their perspectives on health-policy issues.