BMJ  2007;334 (17 February), doi:10.1136/bmj.39127.472384.3A

Editor's Choice

US editor's choice

Lack of insurance, reassurance, and safety assurance

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

Among industrialized countries, only the United States lacks universal health insurance for its residents. Instead we have a patchwork quilt of coverage, sponsored by the Federal government, individual states, employers, and individuals. Karen Davis documents the number of uninsured people in America, analyzes the problems associated with lack of coverage, and explores some possible remedies (doi: 10.1136/bmj.39091.493588.BE). About 16% of Americans are uninsured, almost 50 million people. Unsurprisingly, the uninsured are disproportionately poor, and when they do receive care it is more often of substandard quality. Multiple suggestions for increasing coverage have been made, and several states with relatively small uninsured populations have introduced their own plans to mandate health insurance. However, the current Federal budget deficit and a Congress split almost evenly between Republicans and Democrats make it unlikely that any real national progress will be made.

Can simple communication influence health outcomes through reassurance? Keith Petrie and . . . [Full text of this article]

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