Nancy F. McKenzie

In the following viewpoint, Nancy F. McKenzie argues that due to cuts in public health programs and a decline in the number of doctors willing to treat poor patients, the health care needs of many Americans—especially minorities and the poor—are not being adequately met. McKenzie contends that the current health care system is centered on creating profit rather than on providing for the social good, resulting in a decline in the quality of health care nationwide. McKenzie is the editor of Beyond Crisis: Confronting Health Care in the U.S.

As you read, consider the following questions:

1. What safety net programs were cut between 1980 and 1992, according to McKenzie? By how much does she say they were cut?
2. According to the author, what epidemics have emerged as a result of...