Fundamental problem is not lack of preventive care

doi:10.1136/bmj.39094.381366.1F

BMJ 2007;334:109 (20 January), doi:10.1136/bmj.39094.381366.1F

Letters

National Sickness Service

Fundamental problem is not lack of preventive care

The first 150 words of the full text of this article appear below.

I do not recall from my training in the UnitedKingdom meeting as many patients who are utterly disenfranchised,disempowered and disinterested in their health, as so many ofmy patients are here in the US. I work in a clinic that seesalmost entirely uninsured or underinsured patients. It seemsthat years of being unable to afford care, of worrying aboutpaying rent or buying their children clothes, leaves peopletoo exhausted to be concerned with even their current stateof health, let alone their wellbeing in 10 or 20 years. I agreewith Heath that the solution to healthcare disparity acrossclasses is the eradication of social and economic disparity.¹And even if poor people enjoyed the same health as the restof society, would it still be OK to be poor? The answer is ofcourse no.