Health Care for Some - Part 1

You would think that during the Roaring Twenties that health care would improve. In some ways it did. But when the Great Depression came around, every aspect of the United States suffered, including health care. Even though during this time period, health care was seen as a right, many poor people were not able to be seen because they could not pay. The doctors did want too many charity cases because times were hard for them too and they had to pay bills just like everyone else. But at the same time, doctors did not people who could pay for their services to go to free health clinics because that would mean a loss in money too. The opening of the book makes you realize the seriousness of people’s die-hard situations during the Great Depression. A young girl died because of a burst appendix. She could have been saved if the doctor would have appropriately prioritized his patients based on the urgency of their condition. But the doctor did not want to see her during “regular business hours” because the family could not pay for services. The Great Depression really showed who was rich and poor because the rich lived fine while the poor died of treatable diseases.