Health Care Reform, Health, and Social Justice

In March of this year, the United States finally took a step toward health care reform when the government passed a health care bill that had been debated and revised in Congress for more than a year. The American press touted this as landmark legislation that will entail a major overhaul of health care in this country.^1,2 

The new law will provide access to health insurance coverage for an estimated 30 million people who currently are not covered.^1,2  This means many more people, including those with significant chronic illness and so-called preexisting conditions will be able to receive basic health care services and be protected from financial ruin in the event of a major acute illness or injury.^1,2  Whereas some people in the United States are fixated on the potential problems, including how we will pay for these sweeping changes to...