A review of data on the health sector of the United States

This report presents data on the state of U.S. health care in mid-2000. It provides information on the number of uninsured and underinsured (with spec ial attention to health coverage among Hispanics and drug coverage among se niors); the increasing costs of health care; inequalities in the socio-econ omic, health, and medical spheres; and the role of corporate money in healt h care. Recent data are presented on the pharmaceutical industry (with spec ial notes on drug industry lobbying, drug safety, the use of publicly funde d research to boost industry profits, and drug marketing to physicians) and the hospital and nursing home industries (including Medicare HMOs). The au thor also summarizes the health proposals of the presidential candidates, r ecent health care legislation, and some health system changes in Canada.