Best insurance books according to redditors

A big driver of the clusterfuck is 50 different standards because "muh states rights". I recommend Steven Brill's America's Bitter Pill if you're interested in learning more, but prepare to be infuriated.

Put simply, with Obamacare we’ve changed the rules related to who pays for what, but we haven’t done much to change the prices we pay. When you follow the money, you see the choices we’ve made, knowingly or unknowingly.
Over the past few decades, we’ve enriched the labs, drug companies, medical device makers, hospital administrators and purveyors of CT scans, MRIs, canes and wheelchairs. Meanwhile, we’ve squeezed the doctors who don’t own their own clinics, don’t work as drug or device consultants or don’t otherwise game a system that is so gameable. And of course, we’ve squeezed everyone outside the system who gets stuck with the bills. We’ve created a secure, prosperous island in an economy that is suffering under the weight of the riches those on the island extract. And we’ve allowed those on the island and their lobbyists and allies to control the debate, diverting us from what Gerard Anderson, a health care economist at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, says is the obvious and only issue: “All the prices are too damn high.”

• Steven Brill, excerpt from "Bitter Pill: Why Medical Bills Are Killing Us"
  
  Great book about it as well.

Is your response rooted in the belief that private health insurance is the sole reason for high cost of care? If so, please join me in reading An American Sickness. I'm reading it now and I'm learning that private health insurance doesn't nearly hold all the blame and it seems Bernie and others have been using them as some sort of scapegoat.

The reason behind high costs of healthcare falls on hospitals profiting, doctors incentivized to recommend expensive care, and regulations behind drug research that drive up those costs.

Edit: Insurance is also a factor. But it's a small part of the whole equation.

There are many solutions out there, and much more in depth that can be explained in a single reddit comment, I will link you to some reading material.

https://mises.org/library/four-step-healthcare-solution

http://www.libertarianism.org/media/free-thoughts/better-choice-healthcare-solutions-america

https://www.amazon.com/Better-Choice-Healthcare-Solutions-Independent/dp/1598132083/

https://www.amazon.com/Priceless-Healthcare-Independent-Studies-Political/dp/1598130838/

https://www.amazon.com/Patient-Power-Free-Enterprise-Alternative-Clintons/dp/1882577108/

I thought of similar ideas. Then I got recommended this youtube channel (see about 4:55 in the linked video) where a doctor who is a Vice Chair for Health Policy and Outcomes Research and writes for the New York Times talked about how the "state lines" thing is more of a myth. He's generally quite balanced when it comes to either side's ideas for healthcare reform (each has its own tradeoffs). https://youtu.be/6tlMALdsZ28?t=4m55s

Unfortunately, insurance companies already can sell across state lines. It just doesn't work out very well. With no regulatory boundaries, insurance sets up shop in the state with the fewest regulations and sells nationally with no real competition that would make things less crap (this happened with the credit card industry).

Networks are also setup locally due to time/money of making new ones far away, so having insurance in a different state is basically useless (which may happen to me if I stop being unemployed by getting a job in another state soon). [A couple of states tried to do this. NOT A SINGLE out of state insurer took their offer] (https://www.nytimes.com/2015/09/01/upshot/the-problem-with-gop-plans-to-sell-health-insurance-across-state-lines.html?_r=0).

Regarding rawrbunny, a large part of the problems seen in states like Texas (where I grew up) are caused by not accepting the medicaid expansion. By having Republicans reject the funding, they can then create their proof that Obamacare is more crap than it is (thanks Lieberman, for not letting us get a public option in exchange for your last crucial vote).

A side note - there's also a weird system in the US that ties healthcare to employment (not self-employment though), since healthcare benefits aren't taxed. It encourages rates to go up because no one is really paying for them. [For more info, check out Planet Money's podcast on it here. The section starts about 9 minutes in. It's fascinating stuff.] (http://www.npr.org/sections/money/2016/10/26/499490275/episode-387-the-no-brainer-economic-platform)

If you want to read more on how things got so bad, I'd highly recommend [An American Sickness: How Healthcare Became Big Business.] (https://www.amazon.com/American-Sickness-Healthcare-Became-Business/dp/1594206759/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1496388629&sr=1-1&keywords=an+american+sickness) It's also SUPER interesting, and even includes ways for people to save money through resources that try and make things more transparent.

As you may notice, I've been doing a decent amount of reading/research since the healthcare debate started up again. That, and the price of a fucking 15-minute CT scan (with insurance) varied MORE THAN $700 depending on which place I got it from when I was sick a while back. A good wake up call.

I'm really surprised that no one has linked the two major pieces of journalism that have re-sparked this debate:

Bitter Pill: Why Medical Bills Are Killing Us By Steven Brill

Catastrophic Care by David Goldhill

Here is a video of the two discussing the healthcare system on Fareed Zakaria's GPS.

Here is a radio interview of Stephen Brill discussing his findings in more depth with Diane Rehm. Here is the transcript.

I'd very strongly recommend you at least watch the video if you are interested in this topic.

Teaser: The core of the problem is that buyers (other than Medicare) have no market power. People with emergency situations or life-threatening illnesses do not usually have choice in the market. In such a situation, markets cannot function efficiently. Example: hospitals have up to 100x price markup on common medicines.

Actually, I am pretty sure what they spend the majority of their profits on is lobbying and not their executives and R&D. They also spend a good deal of money courting physicians to promote their medications.


(http://www.truth-out.org/news/item/33010-how-much-of-big-pharma-s-massive-profits-are-used-to-influence-politicians)

(https://www.publicintegrity.org/2016/09/18/20203/pharma-lobbying-held-deep-influence-over-opioid-policies)

Furthermore, most of the ground level R&D that is done in America regarding new drugs is from the National Institute of Health. Then pharma companies pick it up and do further research on it. And its not actual R&D to get the same drug approved with a new coating on it just to keep a patent stranglehold on the drug. This practice doesn't save lives or help patients, it keeps them from getting affordable generics.


Read a book called An American Sickness by Elizabeth Rosenthal. It is truly excellent at explaining how our healthcare system is failing for the general population and touches on many aspects, not just pharmaceutical. Basically, it is the counterargument to your hypothesis about increasing drug prices. (https://www.amazon.com/American-Sickness-Healthcare-Became-Business/dp/1594206759)

edit: had to go to grammar school

>Half the time, they just take two existing drugs and combine em.

You (every American really) should read "An American Sickness" by Elisabeth Rosenthal. She talks about this exact practice that pharmaceutical companies engage in. Taking an old generic med that works well, combining it or making it extend release, and skyrocketing the price up 300% or more. It's a sickening practice and if I had no moral compass and wanted to make bank, I'd jump at the opportunity too. Such a lucrative industry, pharmaceuticals.

She also dedicates chapters on critiquing insurance companies, "non-profit" hospitals (lol), physicians, and biomedical manufacturing companies.

For anyone who wants more information on our health insurance system and it's problems, here's a few ideas (all VERY good):

TV: Frontline-Sick Around America

TV: Frontline-Sick Around The World

BOOK: Critical Condition

BOOK: One Nation Uninsured

The result of Medicare and Medicaid has already been the opposite.

Give this a read - it's a book that lays out the reasons for the higher prices in American healthcare, written by two law professors.

It can get a bit dry, but I read "What's Wrong With Your Life Insurance" when looking into Life Insurance. http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/0025293508/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?qid=1426605519&sr=8-1&keywords=what%27s+wrong+with+your+life+insurance&pi=AC_SY200_QL40

TL;DR: buy term insurance

Read this book: your bank may require it as reading if you get the job anyways (CFA institute publication on RM). Book is free!!! and actually very interesting. Also it's not a terribly tough read.

http://www.amazon.com/Practical-Guide-Risk-Management-ebook/dp/B005EZIJ22/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1414453543&sr=1-1&keywords=a+practical+guide+to+risk+management

Healthcare.

You're overestimating how terrible Single Payer will be for physicians financially. Explaining why will take a lot of background info, but suffice it to say that the $$$ for how expensive healthcare currently is goes to hospitals and insurance companies and pharmaceutical companies. The average doctor won't be affected as much as you might think.

For more info on what I mean, there's a great book you should read:
An American Sickness by Elisabeth Rosenthal. She's a Harvard-educated MD who is currently the editor-in-chief of Kaiser Health News and her book is, in my opinion, the best (and most unbiased) around for understanding the state of the US healthcare system.

An American Sickness:
https://www.amazon.com/American-Sickness-Healthcare-Became-Business/dp/1594206759

Probably the biggest eye-opener I've ever read.

You may want to check out "Power, Politics, and Universal Health Care: The Inside Story of a Century-Long Battle" for a book that's specifically focused on the policy history of universal healthcare in America.

http://www.amazon.com/Power-Politics-Universal-Health-Care/dp/1616144564/ref=pd_sim_14_15?ie=UTF8&dpID=51CsYFn-XEL&dpSrc=sims&preST=_AC_UL160_SR104%2C160_&refRID=1RQEWFDZDX8NWF0Z57ZK

Less focused on universal healthcare, but apparently quite good, is Steven Brill's "America's Bitter Pill: Money, Politics, Backroom Deals, and the Fight to Fix Our Broken Healthcare System." Brill is an investigative journalist, and this book focuses more generally on the inefficiencies of the current healthcare system.

http://www.amazon.com/Americas-Bitter-Pill-Politics-Healthcare/dp/0812986687/ref=pd_sim_14_9?ie=UTF8&dpID=51uH46vVCTL&dpSrc=sims&preST=_AC_UL160_SR104%2C160_&refRID=1X5JG9768071Y4Y0JAAK

Again, not really focused entirely on universal healthcare, but an MIT economist put together a great comic about modern health care policy in American which might help provide a really good basic understanding of the issues surround universal healthcare.

http://slice.mit.edu/2012/02/28/in-a-comic-book-health-care-reform-explained/

David Goldhill, a Democrat and the CEO of the Gameshow Network, has some of the better writing on the adverse incentives that have so screwed up medical economics-

https://www.amazon.com/American-Health-Kindle-Single-Vintage-ebook/dp/B01L80BKG8/ref=sr_1_3?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1501191669&sr=1-3

https://www.amazon.com/Catastrophic-Care-Everything-Think-Health/dp/034580273X/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1501191669&sr=1-1

Understanding Health Policy: A Clinical Approach by Thomas Bodenheimer and Kevin Grumbach

This is a great, easy-to-read book that has a lot of real-world examples. Bodenheimer is the person who coined the "Quadruple Aim."

If you want to do a deeper dive into health insurance, Health Insurance by Michael Morrisey is a great resource!

I haven't read Wasserman, but I briefly looked at the Amazon preview of it. Usually this is a good starting place for intermediate-level mathematical stats, but if the notation seems very daunting, I would recommend an actuarial text on probability to get you started (these usually avoid the plethora of notation) before you pursue mathematical stats. The two I recommend are Probability for Risk Management and Probability and Statistics with Applications: A Problem-Solving Text (my personal favorite, plus this one also covers the stats). Get your hands on the errata (do a Google search) and the solutions manuals as well. Best of luck!

Non-mobile: http://www.amazon.com/dp/0025293508/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?qid=1426605519&sr=8-1&keywords=what%27s+wrong+with+your+life+insurance&pi=AC_SY200_QL40

^That's ^why ^I'm ^here, ^I ^don't ^judge ^you. ^PM ^/u/xl0 ^if ^I'm ^causing ^any ^trouble. ^WUT?

I searched for "Steven Brill" "Bitter Pill" and found this pdf which I think may be the first article he wrote for Time.

Edit: the link is https://www.uta.edu/faculty/story/2311/Misc/2013,2,26,MedicalCostsDemandAndGreed.pdf

He did a follow up article and a book which goes into great detail of the whole process by which we got the ACA. Here's the book on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Americas-Bitter-Pill-Politics-Healthcare/dp/0812986687

Thank you for this. You should also check out "An American Sickness" by Elisabeth Rosenthal. https://www.amazon.com/American-Sickness-Healthcare-Became-Business/dp/1594206759 I've been looking for some new stuff to read because it's so hard to get any non partisan information on the subject.

I don't have any sources besides my own knowledge from having taken classes in college and Martin's own videos.

If you would like to learn a bit more about it, this is an amazing book (if you like reading, are interested at all in the subject, or just have some free time)

Martin actually has people join his stream every now and then and explains to them how the industry actually works, very thoroughly too.

Here are some videos on the subject, if you're interested:

1 2 3 He tries to be rather civil in these (even though his guests that he's debating with and attempting to educate typically are not - nor are his "Friends" or whoever those people are in the stream) so it's not a bad watch if you've got some time, it's pretty educating actually.

And if you've heard about the recent EpiPen price increase, here's his take on it here , again, really educational.

I don't work for a pharma or insurance company, so I don't know every detail, I've only taken some college classes my field is more in economics and finance, but I can answer SOME questions if you have any.

Well this book comes highly praised. Whether the praise is merited, you'll have to investigate.

https://www.amazon.com/SuperTutor-Property-Casualty-Exam-Prep-ebook/dp/B01HAQ75NQ

This is what I used but there is no Oregon edition it looks like

Here are all the local Amazon links I could find:


amazon.com

amazon.co.uk

amazon.ca

amazon.com.au

amazon.in

amazon.com.mx

amazon.de

amazon.it

amazon.es

amazon.com.br

amazon.nl

amazon.co.jp

amazon.fr

Beep bloop. I'm a bot to convert Amazon ebook links to local Amazon sites.
I currently look here: amazon.com, amazon.co.uk, amazon.ca, amazon.com.au, amazon.in, amazon.com.mx, amazon.de, amazon.it, amazon.es, amazon.com.br, amazon.nl, amazon.co.jp, amazon.fr, if you would like your local version of Amazon adding please contact my creator.

Google gives me this: https://www.amazon.com/Americas-Bitter-Pill-Politics-Healthcare/dp/0812986687/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1474208034&sr=8-1&keywords=america%27s+bitter+pill

and this: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/034580273X/ref=pd_cp_14_4?ie=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=NDKFN5HYEA1W4EBTVRNH

While they do talk about obamacare, they don't look like particularly partisan books, at least at first glance.

Singapore. And according to what I've read it performs very well.

It could very well be Navy/miltary inspired, but I only know of it from the FAA side of things, specifically FAA Risk Management Handbook (FAA-H-8083-2) - (Amazon Link).

“Democracy in America”- Alexis de Tocqueville

For anyone interested in more classical liberal approaches to fixing our current healthcare system, here are a few contemporary publications I highly recommend:

“Overcharged: Why Americans Pay Too Much For Healthcare” - Charles Silver and David A. Hyman

“Big Brother In The Exam Room” - Twila Brase

Another short book written by a libertarian Medical Doctor surrounding the erroneous focus on data to solve humanistic problems:

“Moving Mountains: A Socratic Challenge to the Theory and Practice of Population Medicine” - Michel Accad, MD

https://www.amazon.com/Americas-Bitter-Pill-Politics-Healthcare/dp/0812986687

Probably one of the better investigatory pieces written about the pre-ACA distribution problems in healthcare delivery.

Attul Gawande is another good author on the subject.

https://www.amazon.com/Principles-Biomedical-Ethics-Beauchamp/dp/0199924589

https://www.amazon.com/American-Sickness-Healthcare-Became-Business/dp/1594206759/ref=sr_1_1?crid=12GOKZ3DTRX3W&keywords=an+american+sickness+by+elisabeth+rosenthal&qid=1550980133&s=books&sprefix=an+american+sic%2Cstripbooks%2C151&sr=1-1

See my post below regarding the price, also read:
http://www.amazon.com/Catastrophic-Care-Everything-Think-Health/dp/034580273X

Don't worry, it was written by a leftie.

Saw this in the airport the other day and picked it up...Fairly quick read and relevant to this thread. I've been raked over the coals with two kids in three years and was getting tired of not understanding what the hell is going on in healthcare.

An American Sickness

To some degree, but largely they still pass on healthcare costs to everyone very efficiently.

It's been a while since I read up on it, but essentially the entire system revolves around a very robust HSA system where you pay for everything in cash, but either you or the government contributes to a private account to pay for it (based on income, need, etc). Then the government can put up public hospitals, but they still largely have to compete on price with private institutions as well (since people are ultimately paying with their own money).

Ultimately I feel like it would be a lot easier to implement in the US. You can start small. It preserves consumer choice. It can be implemented at a state level. And it will help combat costs (by making prices more important).

https://www.amazon.com/One-Nation-Uninsured-National-Insurance/dp/0195312031

As someone who is fighting for single-payer and researching how best to achieve it in America, I HIGHLY recommend listening to this interview with Steven Brill: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_A5OkvPjW0w. Steven Brill is the Author of the book, America's Bitter Pill: http://www.amazon.com/Americas-Bitter-Pill-Politics-Healthcare/dp/0812986687/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1451210689&sr=8-1&keywords=steven+brill.

If anyone wants to dig deeper into this read the book An American Sickness. It talks about healthcare in America and yes it will make you sick. Amazon Link to Book

> Jaja, die guten alten Doomsday Szenarien.

Doomstay ist wenn das System nicht ersetzt wird. Das wird es aber davor.

> Im Endeffekt hat diese "Diskussion" keinen Zweck, da ich dir Argumente für meine Position liefere, dein Argument ist aber lediglich "das österreichische System ist das beste, die USA wird nachziehen müssen"

Hab ja nicht gesagt, dass das oesterreichische System das Beste ist. Allerdings gibt es einige Stimmen in den USA die genau das System "Der Staat rettet dir das Leben" und "Privat macht dir das Leben schoen" propagieren. Eine Diskussion zu dem Thema gibts hier zB mit David Goldhill der auch ein Buch dazu geschrieben hat: https://www.amazon.com/Catastrophic-Care-American-Health-Father-ebook/dp/B00957T4QK

Und das ist so ziemlich die kapitalistischte Loesung fuer das amerikanische Gesundheitssystem das bis jetzt propagiert wurde. Deckt sich halt lustigerweise ziemlich genau damit wo das oesterreichsche System seit einigen Jahren hinverkommt.

Am currently reading Wendell Potter's Deadly Spin. It chills the blood. This news just fits right in. Read about the book here:
http://www.amazon.com/Deadly-Spin-Insurance-Corporate-Deceiving/dp/1608192814/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1290041717&sr=8-1

Here's a much better telling of a similar story than I could do on my phone:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/0307961540/ref=redir_mdp_mobile/178-3047458-7974958