Healthcare, Guaranteed: A Simple, Secure Solution for America by Ezekiel J. Emanuel

Healthcare, Guaranteed: A Simple, Secure Solution for America Reviews

• 
  Erin

  This book is clear, concise and straight-forward. Emanuel explores the many problems of our fragmented, fee-for-service health care "system." He analyzes many of the general suggestions for health care reform, including mandates, single-payer plans and incremental reforms, though proposing a system called the Guaranteed Healthcare Access Plan. It would provide 100% of Americans with universal health care vouchers, financed by a 10% dedicated VAT, to receive guaranteed care through private insurance companies. I was previously in favor of a single-payer approach and hesitant of a plan that would rely so much on private insurance companies, but he makes a compelling argument to why this plan may offer the best solution. I'll keep reading more about it.
• 
  Elsie

  We definitely have a problem with health care. Our current system was designed when doctors in buggies were visiting patients at home. We spend more money per person with the poorest results of all Level 4 countries (see Hans Roslings data in Factfulness). We need sweeping changes that are non partisan. I’m not sure this book has the answers but we certainly need to find out. At least it’s a great starting point.
• 
  Jeff Brailey

  Anyone who disbelieves the American healthcare delivery and payment systems are terminally ill has never been sick themselves. American medical technology is arguably the best in the world, unfortunately the systems that bring it to the consumers are flawed.
  
  The author uses government and industry statistics and facts to prove it. If facts and figures were not enough to get his point across, he presents heartbreaking personal anecdotes of patients throughout the country who have been victims of the American medical mess.
  
  In Chapter 1, the author points out:
  
  * American healthcare costs more per citizen than it does in any other country in the world. Switzerland comes in second, spending 50% less per capita than the USA.
  
  * The infant mortality rate in the USA is two times that of Japan, Sweden and Norway.
  
  * The USA has a lower life expectancy rate than Japan, France Canada or Germany.
  
  * Annually, the USA has a higher percentage of people die from diabetes than any other developed nation in the world.
  
  THE SYSTEM NOT ONLY IS BROKEN, IT IS BEYOND REPAIR. WE NEED A NEW ONE!
• 
  Joshua

  Healthcare is of extreme interest and importance. Of all the books and magazine articles currently in circulation, I picked this one because Dr. Emanuel is an advisor to the Obama administration on healthcare issues besides being the brother of the White House Chief of Staff. His proposal, the Guaranteed Healthcare Access Plan (GHAP), has many good features: coverage for 100% of all Americans; the same benefits available to members of Congress; free choice of health providers, and some bad points: funded by what is, in essence, a (regressive) national sales tax and it maintains the private insurance companies although severely controlled.
  
  Overall, I was impressed enough to sign up for there email newsletters. If you want to know more you can check it out at:
  http://healthcareguaranteed.org
• 
  Sara

  I would love to stand on a street corner with a big box of these books and hand them out. Better yet, I would love to knock on the door of the White House and give one to the President. I actually would be sorely disappointed to learn he had not read it since the author is Rahm Emmanual's brother. But if he had read it, he would want to take healthcare reform this direction, so apparently he hasn't. I have not been a proponent for keeping healthcare privatized but this book sold me on how we can have meaningful reform and universal coverage without going in the direction of a public plan.
• 
  Lance

  He makes a good case for scrapping the current system to provide health insurance for all to be supported by a value-added tax on all purchases. Although written before Obama Health Care became law, he has an interesting discussion of why the new health care law (bandaging the current system with mandated health insurance along with financial assistance to those who can't afford it) is NOT a solution.
• 
  Adam

  Sheesh, been working in health care/ health care policy for over 14 years...about time someone flipped off the policy wonks and laid it bare.
  
  This is what happens when you take the politics out of a national issue (or is that crisis?)...it makes finding a solution so much easier, even possible.
  
  If you want to know the reality of our healthcare system, read this.
• 
  Chris Kemp

  Read this book if you want to understand the issues involved in health care reform.
• 
  Amy

  Universal Healthcare w/o a government plan? I need to read this!
• 
  Bob

  I read this back before "Obamacare" was passed. It helped to clarify some of the factors under consideration and made proposals not dissimilar from Wyden's. We know how that went.