Lack of insurance, reassurance, and safety assurance

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 …