Unsustainable: How American Healthcare Became a Machine for Managing Disease—And How We Can Fix It
"The American healthcare system is on an unsustainable trajectory. Despite remarkable medical advancements, escalating costs and a chronic disease epidemic have transformed healthcare into an industry focused more on managing disease than curing it. In Unsustainable, Dr. Christopher Voss-a physician with expertise in anesthesiology, critical care, pain medicine, and lifestyle medicine-offers a compelling, well-researched examination of how capitalism has shaped modern healthcare, often rewarding continuous treatment over definitive cures.
Dr. Voss traces the historical evolution of American medicine, exposing the misaligned incentives that have led to rising costs, physician burnout, and a public increasingly dependent on pharmaceuticals and high-cost procedures. He delves into third-party payers, the pharmaceutical industry, and hospital consolidations, revealing the systemic forces that prioritize financial gain over genuine health outcomes.
But this book is not just about diagnosing the problem-it presents real solutions. Drawing from successful models in preventive medicine, value-based care, and global healthcare systems, Unsustainable outlines a vision for rebalancing capitalism in medicine. Dr. Voss argues that profit and patient well-being don't have to be at odds-if incentives are structured to reward prevention, patient empowerment, and curative treatments.
This book is a must-read for physicians, policymakers, healthcare administrators, and patients who want to understand why healthcare costs continue to spiral and what can be done to create a sustainable, ethical, and patient-centered system. Through a mix of rigorous research, real-world examples, and bold policy recommendations, Unsustainable challenges the status quo and presents a compelling roadmap for the future of American healthcare."
Christopher Voss MD MBA MS MLS FCCP (Author), Gary Middleton (Narrator)
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