Forum Network

Bruce G. Bodaken discusses the choices must we make as a society to give every American an equal chance at a healthy life. As a life-or-death issue, access to health care presents moral issues not faced by most industries. Every day, health plans decide whom to accept for coverage, what therapies to approve, and which providers may deliver medical care. Insurers in our society face a dilemma: the well insured are demanding more tests, high-tech treatments, brand-name drugs, and the right to see more specialists, while some 47 million Americans are uninsured and are at greater risk for debilitating disease and an earlier death. What choices must we make as a society to give every American an equal chance at a healthy life?