An American Sickness opens with an assertion that the priorities of America’s healthcare system are centered around profit. Rosenthal points out that Americans are currently desensitized to the nebulous bills and high costs that have come to define the country’s health insurance, despite often having negative personal experiences with the financial state of the industry. She notes that the standards used to regulate the healthcare industry would likely be considered unacceptable in other economic sectors, asking readers if, for example, they would feel comfortable purchasing an airline ticket only to receive “separate and inscrutable bills for the airline, the pilot, the copilot, and the flight attendant” (2).

Despite the fact that the United States spends “nearly one fifth of its gross domestic product on healthcare,” it provides the lowest quality medical care out of any other developed country (3). America’s peers in the global community spend drastically less but are able to provide care options that are popular and accessible. This stands in stark comparison to the reality that many Americans face when it comes to their healthcare. The cost of seemingly basic and accessible treatments can be thousands of dollars, and it is difficult to determine where exactly that money is going.