In "Catastrophic Care," David Goldhill embarks on a profoundly personal journey, catalyzed by the tragic loss of his father to infections acquired in a hospital—a place where healing should have been a certainty. This devastating experience exposes Goldhill to the labyrinthine complexities and inefficiencies of the American healthcare system, prompting a rigorous examination of its foundations. Through his investigative lens, Goldhill reveals a system plagued by a paradox: the intertwining of cutting-edge technology and highly trained professionals with egregious errors and a disconcerting lack of accountability. His narrative is not just a story of personal loss but a clarion call for a fundamental rethinking of healthcare, challenging the conventional wisdom that insurance expansion is the solution to systemic failures. With unflinching clarity, Goldhill dissects a system that spends trillions annually yet often bars access to necessary treatments, delivers inconsistent quality of care, and provides minimal customer service, all while an alarming number of Americans succumb to preventable medical errors each year. "Catastrophic Care" transcends critique, offering a visionary outlook on how healthcare can be reformed. Goldhill posits that the key to transformation lies in empowering patients, proposing a radical shift that promises not only to lower costs but to significantly improve the quality of care. His insights offer a blueprint for a healthcare system that is not only sustainable but also equitable, making a compelling case for why and how we must usher in a new era of patient-centered care.