Given the current state of our health care system, it seems pretty evident that the system is simply not working and is far from delivering services in a just manner. Far too many people are uninsured, which in turn prevents them from utilizing primary care physicians for regular checkups. The only time they seek medical attention is when their situation is serious enough that prevention strategies are no longer plausible. This then contributes to our nation's skyrocketing medical expenses and the general decline in the health of the population. A generally unhealthier population means less healthy people in the workforce, which contributes to a decline in the economy. All things considered, it seems that the 95% spent on direct medical services versus the measly 5% spent on prevention is not the most efficient way to fund the health care system; more funding should be given towards preventive medicine. This will, however, take much time before the rewards will be seen since the effects of preventive measures can only be seen in the long run through the decline in disease prevalence amongst the population.

To ensure that everyone has an equal opportunity to access the most basic health care, I believe that it is important for the government to place insuring the uninsured at the top of their priorities list. It is no shock that higher rates of disease burden is felt amongst those with the lowest SES since a majority of them are uninsured. Insuring them would allow them the means to be able to utilize primary care physicians for their regular checkups as opposed to using the emergency department, which do not offer a continuity of care. Although this may seem a bit far-fetched, perhaps giving medical students more of an incentive to practice general medicine as opposed to specializing would be another means to reduce health disparities. Since there are far too many specialized doctors compared to the needs of the population, there aren't enough general practitioners, especially in those areas that need them the most. Most doctors, if given the choice, would probably choose to set up their practice/clinic in a well-off city as opposed to a "ghetto" neighborhood. Hence, those who do live in the "ghetto" still have to travel farther distances just to pay a visit to their doctor. Giving medical students an incentive to set up their practice in a more socioeconomically disadvantaged community would help to alleviate some of the inequalities in access to care.