THE FREEDOM PLAN: AN AMERICAN ANSWER TO HEALTH CARE REFORM

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THE FREEDOM PLAN: AN AMERICAN ANSWER TO HEALTH CARE REFORM

Name: THE FREEDOM PLAN: AN AMERICAN ANSWER TO HEALTH CARE REFORM
Author: John F. Perry
ISBN: 978-1484014752

by John F. Perry ‧ RELEASE DATE: June 20, 2013

A problematic prescription for an infirm industry.

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In his debut, Perry, a practicing physician for 40 years, examines the ailing American health care system and proposes a solution.

The author lists the reasons why health care has become such a nightmare, showing how, while well intended, Medicare and the HMO Act actually drove up costs. One of his primary conclusions is that the government can’t run health care. He then unveils a comprehensive program called The Freedom Plan, which has as its underlying principle a return to cost consciousness. In this multifaceted plan, the author advocates eliminating the tax deduction employers receive for the health insurance plans they provide for their employees. This will cause businesses to shift more of the health care costs to workers. Anyone who maintains a health insurance policy is eligible to receive a yearly tax credit. By accepting that tax credit, one commits to raising his or her minimum deductible on the policy. Perry believes that as people become more sensitive to costs, they will begin to shop around for the best price for health care services. Providers would theoretically respond by lowering the cost of their services to attract more business. The book is a well-written, thoughtful look at a thorny problem, and the author displays a light, breezy style and wit. (One of the only missteps is the use of repetitive analogies.) It’s refreshing to see a health care solution offered by a physician rather than a political solution vetted or savaged by others, such as the Clinton 1993 Health Care Reform Plan that was whipsawed by both health care–industry supporters and opponents. The Freedom Plan certainly sounds good on paper, but unfortunately, it’s likely to be DOA if it ever gets to the point of serious consideration. The plan steps on too many political land mines, calling for, among other things, the gradual phasing out of Medicare, reform of the federal tax code and an end to physician licensing.

A problematic prescription for an infirm industry.

Pub Date: June 20, 2013

ISBN: 978-1484014752

Page Count: 400

Publisher: CreateSpace

Review Posted Online: Nov. 18, 2013

Review Program: Kirkus Indie

Categories:

GENERAL NONFICTION

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NUTCRACKER

by E.T.A. Hoffmann ‧ RELEASE DATE: Oct. 28, 1996

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This is not the Nutcracker sweet, as passed on by Tchaikovsky and Marius Petipa. No, this is the original Hoffmann tale of 1816, in which the froth of Christmas revelry occasionally parts to let the dark underside of childhood fantasies and fears peek through. The boundaries between dream and reality fade, just as Godfather Drosselmeier, the Nutcracker's creator, is seen as alternately sinister and jolly. And Italian artist Roberto Innocenti gives an errily realistic air to Marie's dreams, in richly detailed illustrations touched by a mysterious light. A beautiful version of this classic tale, which will captivate adults and children alike. (Nutcracker; $35.00; Oct. 28, 1996; 136 pp.; 0-15-100227-4)

Pub Date: Oct. 28, 1996

ISBN: 0-15-100227-4

Page Count: 136

Publisher: Harcourt

Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 1996

Categories:

GENERAL NONFICTION

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THE NUTCRACKER AND THE MOUSE KING
by E.T.A. Hoffmann ; adapted by Natalie Andrewson ; illustrated by Natalie Andrewson

- BOOK REVIEW
THE NUTCRACKER
by E.T.A. Hoffmann & illustrated by Julie Paschkis

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TO THE ONE I LOVE THE BEST

EPISODES FROM THE LIFE OF LADY MENDL (ELSIE DE WOLFE)

by Ludwig Bemelmans ‧ RELEASE DATE: Feb. 23, 1955

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An extravaganza in Bemelmans' inimitable vein, but written almost dead pan, with sly, amusing, sometimes biting undertones, breaking through. For Bemelmans was "the man who came to cocktails". And his hostess was Lady Mendl (Elsie de Wolfe), arbiter of American decorating taste over a generation. Lady Mendl was an incredible person,- self-made in proper American tradition on the one hand, for she had been haunted by the poverty of her childhood, and the years of struggle up from its ugliness,- until she became synonymous with the exotic, exquisite, worshipper at beauty's whrine. Bemelmans draws a portrait in extremes, through apt descriptions, through hilarious anecdote, through surprisingly sympathetic and understanding bits of appreciation. The scene shifts from Hollywood to the home she loved the best in Versailles. One meets in passing a vast roster of famous figures of the international and artistic set. And always one feels Bemelmans, slightly offstage, observing, recording, commenting, illustrated.