Health, Money and Fear (2009)

Our health care system should be more about health and less about money. Instead of chaos, driven by profits, Somebody needs to be in charge of making sure we are getting the most health and the least suffering for our public health care dollars.

The system is beyond broken or sick. It's dumb. We spend more than twice as much per capita than most developed countries, the taxpayer is already paying for 60% of the total bill, and, by any measure of public health, our results are poor. Driven by technology and fear of liability, physicians order tests and treatments without regard for cost. Patients and families embrace unreasonable expectations. Drug companies successfully market expensive drugs that, at best, are marginally more effective than less expensive, older ones. As our primary care providers continue to disappear, increasing fragmentation of care, costs will rise and outcomes will worsen. Most significantly, the insurance industry adds nothing to "health" and greatly to total cost, which is increasingly a burden to our economy and threat to the financial solvency of our government.

Produced by Paul Hochfeld, this 48 minute documentary calls on some of the top U.S. experts in health care. It is well-worth viewing. Health, Money and Fear can be ordered directly from Dr. Hochfeld for a donation of $0 - 25. Well worth viewing. We sent a check for $25 (for the record)