High healthcare costs are eroding patients' relationships with physicians, according to Marty Makary, MD, a surgeon and professor at Baltimore-based Johns Hopkins University.
Dr. Makary made the argument in his new book, The Price We Pay: What Broke American Health Care — and How to Fix It. In an interview with NPR to discuss his book, Dr. Makary said the expense of medical care is causing Americans to lose trust in physicians.
He told the publication that when hospitals use predatory financial strategies, like suing their patients for unpaid bills or surprising them with charges for out-of-network physicians, the physician-patient relationship is threatened.
"In my opinion, a hospital has no right to sue you and garnish your wages or put a lien on your home. This is taking advantage of people when they're vulnerable," he told NPR.
Read the full interview here.