The Price We Pay

Doctor Marty Makary sets out what broke American health care, pointing to rising costs and medical debt. One in five Americans has medical debt in collections, he notes, and climbing costs threaten every small business in the country. Makary travels across America and argues that health care has become a bubble, drawing on stories from the ground, his own research and his experience as a doctor. He describes price gouging, middlemen and money games, and shows how much spending has nothing to do with health. He also profiles disruptors who are innovating in medical care and lays out a roadmap to help ordinary Americans and business leaders get better deals on care.

Steve Forbes endorsed it for every American and business leader, and Aneesh Chopra, former chief technology officer of the United States, praised how Makary sifts through complex data to show a path toward a better health care system.