With three decades of experience in a variety of healthcare, pharmaceutical, and biotechnology firms, respected healthcare consultant, Kim Slocum applies a uniquely broad viewpoint to the U.S. healthcare crisis. He discusses how the system has evolved and debunks various myths that continue to persist. Exploring potential solutions, he balances many diverse and conflicting factors, including the movement to make healthcare more patient-centered and the growing trend to transfer significant portions of financial risk to patients via high-deductibles. Slocum closes the book by discussing what a successful consumer-directed system might look like and what steps would be required to make it happen.