Death Panel is a novel based on the true story of how one family experienced the pain of a late-diagnosed, fast-moving, terminal blood cancer. Intertwined with the family's personal tragedy is the troubling story of the patient's delayed chemotherapy treatment. This gives it the chilling color of a conspiracy, suggesting a desire by the health care provider to ensure a quick death and treatment savings in the millions.

REVIEW

Dan Lombard's Death Panel is a moving, compelling story of one man's experience watching the vibrant woman he loves deteriorate as a result of cancer, a seemingly ubiquitous disease. Through his exploration of what is a very personal, visceral, and emotionally agonizing journey, Lombard also exposes the dark side of health care organizations in the United States and the critical "care" that they do--or don't--provide for cancer patients and their families who are affected by this epidemic. Despite relentlessly and proactively seeking answers and doggedly pursuing the attention and treatment his wife needs, the main character's efforts reveal a hidden agenda that seems to drive many decisions HMOs make. This book is a poignant rendering of the pain that comes from loss while at the same time serving as an indispensable warning and guide for anyone who is or has loved ones who are dealing with serious illness.

Reviewed by: Stephanie Manzan

EXCERPT

"David was not upset that there may have been a death panel that decided Kathy could not be saved; if done properly, David, and Kathy too, for that matter, had no problem with the concept of a death panel. What angered him so greatly was that they had not been invited to sit on that panel."