The U.S. health system does many amazing things, and there are many dedicated, compassionate people who provide excellent care. At the same time, the financial underpinnings of the system prevent most people from gaining and maintaining their optimal health.
Health care in the U.S. is horribly expensive, severely inefficient, and people don’t get the care they deserve — all because profits are the priority. Too often, profit trumps community needs, and a tremendous amount of money is funneled to wealthy executives and shareholders at the expense of people and communities.
It’s no wonder that the majority of people in the U.S. are unhappy with the health system. The U.S. has some of the most expensive health care in the world with mediocre and grossly unequal health outcomes to show for it. As a result of discrimination, systemically excluded communities — including Black and brown people, Indigenous people, women, LGBTQ+ people, older people, and people with disabilities — are disproportionately harmed.
The effects are both individual (in how people are treated and the impact that has on their health) and structural (in how the system is actually set up and managed). Its impact ripples across entire communities and our country. (author introduction)
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