A prescription for the steep cost of health care

Few of us would embark on a vacation without knowing the price of airline tickets, hotel stays and side excursions. But that’s exactly what Americans are forced to do when they enter a hospital, according to Dr. Marty Makary in his new book, “The Price We Pay.”

The Johns Hopkins surgeon takes an in-depth look at how the medical industry drifted into a money-making enterprise – one that has seemingly lost its focus on the patients it purports to serve. His book is filled with maddening examples of doctors recommending unneeded medical procedures, hospitals suing members of their community to collect on inflated bills, and middlemen who drive up costs behind the scenes. But the meat of his book offers suggestions for how to fix our broken system.

Tuesday, MPR host Kerri Miller spoke with Makary about the problems baked into the American health care system – and what’s needed to get it back on course.

Guest:

• Dr. Marty Makary, Johns Hopskins surgeon, professor of health policy and author of the new book “The Price We Pay”

To listen to the full conversation you can use the audio player above.

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