Rheum for Improvement is a physician's account of how corporate medicine has transformed health care from a human interaction between a patient and their physician into a business transaction between a consumer and a provider. It is also a personal story of how frivolous legal action triggered that physician to become an outspoken advocate for health-care reform. It will be of interest to anyone who interacts with our health-care system, but especially physicians, who must navigate bureaucratic obstacles on a daily basis.

As a patient, have you ever:

--Had your health insurance deny a test or procedure that your doctor recommended by saying that it was not medically necessary?

--Been told that you had to try one medicine before you could take the medicine that your doctor actually prescribed?

--Had a procedure done that was covered by your insurer, only to receive a separate bill afterwards that you were not expecting?

--Felt that your doctor has their nose buried in a computer instead of paying attention to you?

If so, you are not alone. Rheum for Improvement addresses these and many other health-care issues that compromise the care that physicians can provide. It is a must read for anyone who has ever been or ever will be a patient.