Frank Lalli, once a long-serving editor of Money magazine, has snagged a book deal — estimated to be in the low six figures — from the Touchstone imprint of Simon & Schuster.
Lalli’s upcoming effort will be about health care.
Lalli began transforming himself from a financial journalist into a health care specialist when he was diagnosed with multiple myeloma five years ago.
He has trademarked the phrase “The Health Care Detective.”
The book, “Your Best Health Care Now,” is due out Sept. 20.
Lalli has plenty of first-hand knowledge about the health care system.
When he left Time and was still covered by its health insurance, the plan capped out-of-pocket prescription costs at $1,000 a year.
But shortly after he was diagnosed with the blood cancer — and was taking meds that cost $524 a day — he learned his insurance plan was changing. His meds would now coast him $132,000 a year.
The experience started a whole new career writing about health care.
Last Sunday, in Parade magazine’s cover story, Lalli wrote about a woman suffering from myeloma who was down to only 80 pounds before she was admitted to a University of Pennsylvania clinical study that used immunotherapy.
Two years later, she’s miraculously cancer free.
“We all know the health care system is a disaster — there have been a lot of books written about that,” said Lalli. “My book starts where those books end.”
When his agent, Nat Sobel, finally sent the proposal to auction, four major publishers bid on the book, with Touchstone’s Michelle Howry scoring the winning bid.