A Word About This Issue

Healthcare is one of the most complicated and controversial issues facing contemporary society.  What counts as healthcare?  Who provides it?  Who pays, and how much?  Why is it so costly?  Who profits?  What conditions should insurance companies cover?  Why are so many people in the world's wealthiest country uninsured?  Why do some people recieve state-of-the-art quality care for any accident or illness while others go without basic preventative care?  What can be done to improve affordability and access?  What are the ethical responsibilities of people in medical vocations?  How about politicians?  Insurance companies?  Ordinary concerned citizens?  

In this issue of Hands On, we look at some of these questions in more detail and seek to start conversations and raise consciousness if not provide answers.  In any case we can say with confidence that healthcare will continue to be a significant challenge in decades to come.  We encourage you to educate yourself about the health care system both to understand how it affects you and so that you can act on behalf of those whose position in society makes it difficult for them to recieve adequate care.