Ben Wiggins, an irascible octogenarian, pits his wits and spunk against a group of doctors who seize tax funds to purchase a CT scanner for themselves in Whitney, a derelict town in the middle of Arizona's Sonoran Desert.

Outraged by their brazen attempt to rip-off the community, Ben faces lawsuits and libelous assaults as he tries to block the purchase. Evelyn Cooper, his companion and confidant, and Peter Henry, a lifelong friend, expose the hoax that will double the cost of healthcare to the town’s impoverished citizens.

Robert Bascom, a young, idealistic physician who had retreated to a village in Italy to mourn the death of his wife receives a call from the administrator of Whitney hospital. Corruption, incompetence and malpractice are rampant in his facility, and he begs Bascom to return and correct the situation.

Bascom agrees, and on his first night in town, suffering from jet-lag and a few too many drinks, gets an urgent call from a nurse in the hospital ER. Once there he sees a physician reading a newspaper at the nurses station. Two patients are in the ward: one is asleep on a stretcher, the other, as white as the sheet covering him, is being attended to by a nurse and an EMT in a bloody uniform. He goes to the stretcher and while attempting to save the man, asks the nurse, "Did you ask Dr. Perkins to help with this patient?"

"Yes," she replies, "but he won't treat Mexicans."

Medical Grail, a fictional story based upon true events, is the tale of a doctor who has accompanied patients that have traveled, some successfully, others less so, through the maze of modern medicine.

It will horrify you.

Do you know how to avoid:

- dangerous medications and unessential and possibly dangerous surgical and medical procedures?

- unwarranted laboratory tests and hospitalizations?

Could you:

- participate actively and knowledgeably in the diagnosis and decision-making regarding your illness?

- confidently refuse to undergo a suggested therapeutic regimen based upon your current knowledge of medicine?

If you answered "no" to any of the above questions, and whether you have traditional fee for service, managed care, or no insurance, this book will teach you how to protect your health and your dollars.