Inequality Kills Us All COVID-19's Health Lessons for the World

The complex answer to why the United States does so poorly in health measures has at its base one pervasive issue: The United States has by far the highest levels of inequality of all the rich countries. Inequality Kills Us All details how living in a society with entrenched hierarchies increases the negative effects of illnesses for everyone. The antidote must start, Stephen Bezruchka recognizes, with a broader awareness of the nature of the problem, and out of that understanding policies that eliminate these inequalities: A fair system of taxation, so that the rich are paying their share; support for child well-being, including paid parental leave, continued monthly child support payments, and equitable educational opportunities; universal access to healthcare; and a guaranteed income for all Americans. The aim is to have a society that treats everyone well—and health will follow.

Acknowledgements Foreword by Richard Wilkinson Introduction 1. How healthy are we in the United States 2. Healthcare in America 3. Inequality Kills 4. Poverty Perspectives 5. Early Life Lasts a Lifetime 6. Health Inequities 7. Stress is the Killer 8. Our Health Depends on Political Choices 9. Prescription Needed 10. What Can We Do? Afterword Index

Stephen Bezruchka is Associate Teaching Professor in the Departments of Health Systems & Population Health and of Global Health at the School of Public Health, University of Washington, in Seattle. He worked as an emergency physician for decades and now teaches concepts presented in this book at the University of Washington.