New York Times report on being a medical patient today

What should you expect as a medical patient with a serious condition or maybe one that is not serious?

My background and history as one who is days away from being 59 years-old is that you had a family doctor who would quarterback your care even if you had something that required care from a specialist.  He or she was always there and always cared.  I know that's changed.  But, the change has always been something that I had a sense for and never saw it outlined in black and white.

In today's New York Times, there's a story about how today's patients are in charge of their own care.  Patients are presented with options and not guided to all the pro's and con's and are responsible for taking initiative for their care and treatment.

I will be reading this story again and then rereading it and then I will try to meld it into my own health situation.  I recommend it.  You need to know that to access the story, you need to go through a short registration process, but, it's nothing onerous.