Susan Starr Sered and Rushika Fernandopulle
Uninsured in America
Life and Death in the Land of Opportunity
$40.00, £27.95 hardcover
9780520244429
Available Now
270 pages, 6 x 9 inches, 7 line illustrations
April 2005, Available worldwide
Also in: History of Labor; Sociology of Business
April 2005, Available worldwide
Also in: History of Labor; Sociology of Business
Downloadable eBook version available:
Adobe E-Reader at ebooks.com, $12.95
Adobe E-Reader at ebooks.com, $12.95
Reaching beyond statistics and prevalent assumptions, Uninsured in America goes to the heart of why more than forty million Americans are falling through the cracks in the health care system, and what it means for society as a whole when so many people suffer the consequences of inadequate medical care. Based on interviews with 120 uninsured men and women and dozens of medical providers, policymakers, and advocates from around the nation, this book takes a fresh look at one of the most important social issues facing the United States today. The vivid and moving stories of those interviewed illustrate the complicated dilemmas—including full-time family caregiving, sudden illness, self-employment, layoffs, and on-the-job injuries—faced by those trying to balance medical problems with housing costs and other daily necessities. This engrossing, accessible, and timely book concludes that our current health care system is leading to fundamental structural changes in American society.
"The effect can be chilling in that you can identify with someone's story in this book. . . [I] was struck by [a blurb] I found from Atul Gawande. The stories are powerful and plainly told so that the reader understands that these stories are real. . . The authors have chosen wisely."—Jeff Buckley, Beyondchron.org
"A moving account of what it is like to be 'uninsured in America.' May it awaken the conscience of the nation."—JAMA
"If Upton Sinclair aimed for the public's heart and hit its stomach instead, Sered and Fernandopulle's discussion of caste lands an unnerving shot to the mouth. . . . Introducing meaningful change into the health-care system will take work from all quarters; and academics like Sered and Fernandopoulle . . . have an indispensable role to play in that effort."—Benjamin Healy, New Republic
"A moving account of what it is like to be 'uninsured in America.' May it awaken the conscience of the nation."—JAMA
"If Upton Sinclair aimed for the public's heart and hit its stomach instead, Sered and Fernandopulle's discussion of caste lands an unnerving shot to the mouth. . . . Introducing meaningful change into the health-care system will take work from all quarters; and academics like Sered and Fernandopoulle . . . have an indispensable role to play in that effort."—Benjamin Healy, New Republic
"This important work gives a voice to some of the 44 million Americans who are at the center of the debate over coverage for the uninsured in this country. While there is much discussion of how to address this crisis, these individuals tell us why we must solve this problem: the costs and consequences of living without health insurance are dire."—Karen Davis, Ph.D., President of the Commonwealth Fund
"A vivid, indignant, and important book, and it does one thing better than any other before: Uninsured makes the abandoned millions visible again. Read it. You will not see the people at a subway stop, behind a cash register, or in your government the same way again."—Atul Gawande, M.D., author of Complications
"The next time someone tells you the United States has 'the best health care system in the world,' ask them to read this powerful, heartbreaking book. Never have the real stories of America's uninsured been told with such clarity and insight."—John E. McDonough, DPH, Health Care For All, Boston
"Uninsured is both compassionate and insightful. Necessary reading for all policy makers and anyone who wants a deeper understanding of how our health care system must be reformed. " —Judy Norsigian, Executive Director, Our Bodies Ourselves
"A vivid, indignant, and important book, and it does one thing better than any other before: Uninsured makes the abandoned millions visible again. Read it. You will not see the people at a subway stop, behind a cash register, or in your government the same way again."—Atul Gawande, M.D., author of Complications
"The next time someone tells you the United States has 'the best health care system in the world,' ask them to read this powerful, heartbreaking book. Never have the real stories of America's uninsured been told with such clarity and insight."—John E. McDonough, DPH, Health Care For All, Boston
"Uninsured is both compassionate and insightful. Necessary reading for all policy makers and anyone who wants a deeper understanding of how our health care system must be reformed. " —Judy Norsigian, Executive Director, Our Bodies Ourselves
Acknowledgments
Prologue: Loretta and Greg's Story
Introduction: The Death Spiral
1. From Working Class to Working Poor: The Death of Industry in America's Heartland
2. Medicaid, Welfare Reform, and Low-Wage Work in the New Economy
3. Family Matters: Divorce and Domestic Violence
4. Who Cares for the Caregivers? Love as a Portal into the Death Spiral
5. The Fox Guarding the Henhouse: Work-Related Injuries and the Vagaries of Workers' Compensation
6. Risky Business: The Self-Employed, Small Business Owners, and Other American Entrepreneurs
7. Young, Sick, and Part-Time: The Vulnerability of Youth and the New American Job Market
8. Mental Health Matters: A Mexican Immigrant Hits the Bureaucratic Wall
9. Minority Report: Health Care Stories from Black America
10. Descent through the Death Spiral
11. Moving Forward
Appendix 1: A Primer on the U.S. Health Care System and the Safety Net
Appendix 2: Resources for Health Care
Notes
Bibliography
Index
Prologue: Loretta and Greg's Story
Introduction: The Death Spiral
1. From Working Class to Working Poor: The Death of Industry in America's Heartland
2. Medicaid, Welfare Reform, and Low-Wage Work in the New Economy
3. Family Matters: Divorce and Domestic Violence
4. Who Cares for the Caregivers? Love as a Portal into the Death Spiral
5. The Fox Guarding the Henhouse: Work-Related Injuries and the Vagaries of Workers' Compensation
6. Risky Business: The Self-Employed, Small Business Owners, and Other American Entrepreneurs
7. Young, Sick, and Part-Time: The Vulnerability of Youth and the New American Job Market
8. Mental Health Matters: A Mexican Immigrant Hits the Bureaucratic Wall
9. Minority Report: Health Care Stories from Black America
10. Descent through the Death Spiral
11. Moving Forward
Appendix 1: A Primer on the U.S. Health Care System and the Safety Net
Appendix 2: Resources for Health Care
Notes
Bibliography
Index
Visit the Commonwealth Fund web site for sample profiles of uninsured Americans
Download a pdf version of a recent report on the baby boom generation and medical insurance prepared by Susan Sered and put out by the Kaiser Commission on Medicaid and the Uninsured.
Download a pdf version of a recent report on the baby boom generation and medical insurance prepared by Susan Sered and put out by the Kaiser Commission on Medicaid and the Uninsured.
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