Prescription for Laughter

You don’t feel well, so you call your doctor and get put on hold. The first available appointment is in three weeks. They ask about insurance. You tell them, “HMO.” It is now four weeks. You quickly say, “PPO.” It’s back to three weeks. You plead and then yell. They say next week, angrily. You are now afraid they will mark your file and give you expired drugs made for rabid cows. You mention lawsuit. They’ll squeeze you in tomorrow. You arrive fifteen minutes early, wait three hours, and see the doctor for two minutes. The prescription drug you get keeps you in the bathroom. Your insurance refuses to pay. Collectors call. You now have high blood pressure, so you call your doctor. You’re put on hold. The first available appointment is in three weeks.Hassles like these are inherent in the idiocy, incompetence, and illogical nature of America’s health-care system. Author Bruce Abrahams is not a doctor; instead, he’s a person with so many medical conditions that his medical alert bracelet simply states, “Never mind.” As a perennial patient, Abrahams shares embarrassing anecdotes and provides valuable tips in dealing with health-care difficulties for both healthy and “health-challenged” individuals. While carefully dissecting common difficulties using humor, Abrahams explores how to take charge of your health care. Prescription for Laughter offers practical advice from a patient’s perspective that will keep you laughing as you successfully navigate a complicated health-care system.