A review of data on the health sector of the United States. May 2001.

This report presents data on the state of U.S. health care in early 2001. It provides information on the numbers of uninsured and underinsured and their difficulties in obtaining health care; the increasing costs of care; and medical, social, and economic inequalities. Data are presented on the state of the nations' health maintenance organizations (including Medicare HMOs), pharmaceutical industry, and hospital industry, and on the role of these industries' money in U.S. politics. The author also looks at some proposals on the Congressional agenda, and gives a summary of some reasons why tax credits won't work. Also provided is some recent information on the status of health care and health care systems elsewhere in the world.