Relentless Health Value

“Scientists Announce Successful Experiment to Bankrupt Mouse That Can’t Afford Cancer Drug.” That’s a recent headline from The Onion, which is, by the way, a funny satire newspaper, if you haven’t heard of it. You could swap out “Cancer Drug” in that headline with “a Trip to the ER”—or pretty much any aspect of health care in this country. No matter what health care service you stick in there as the potential cause for a mouse’s bankruptcy, it’s a pretty LOL headline, right? But the reason why it became a headline is because obviously it’s based on a truth that resonates with your regular citizens in this country. Think about that. A critical mass of people around here believe that health care will bankrupt you. This is one of those sociological signals that has implications to health care leaders. Here’s another signal with implications. In this health care podcast, I’m interviewing the incomparable Marshall Allen. That’s not the signal. His book, Never Pay the First Bill: And Other Ways to Fight the Health