Unraveling U.S. health care : a personal guide / Roberta E. Winter.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

The truth about U.S. health care -- Why U.S. health care is so expensive -- Evidence-based planning : what it means and why you should care -- Quality and cost: how the United States compares with other countries -- Quality indicators: best hospitals for patient safety -- Critical care: U.S. hospitals with level I trauma centers -- Patient safety: who reports hospital errors -- Surgical tips : when you have to go under the knife -- How to get medical treatment in the United States without health insurance -- Medical tourism : getting health care outside the United States -- Health care for visitors to the United States -- Naturopathic and alternative health care in America : who regulates it -- Health care reforms : a consumer perspective -- When it's terminal : how to die well -- What you need to know before your medicare election -- Health insurance 101 -- Women's health care : the best and the worst in the United States -- Men's health care : the best and the worst in the United States -- Children's health care : the best and worst in the United States -- Strategies for reducing the cost of health care in the United States.

More than ever, patients must act as consumers of health care, balancing informed decisions with available resources. Winter provides a timely and thorough explanation of U.S. health care, written in readable laymen's terms. Useful tips, explanatory charts, and statewide scorecards are included throughout to assist readers in choosing the best care they can receive.