Optimism on attaining health care equity.

In spite of persistent problems, progress of the last 40 years gives grounds for optimism about trends toward equity in health care. In the United States, substantial improvements have been achieved in the coverage of insurance providing economic access to medical care, in the extent of group medical practice, in health manpower resources, in the supply and distribution of hospital beds, in the scope of preventive public health services, in medical care of the poor, in the surveillance of medical care quality, in the availability of sound patterns of health care delivery, in comprehensive planning of health resources and services, and in the health status of the population. All these gains have made against the bitter opposition of conservative interests. With continued and determined efforts, one may be optimistic about achieving further progress toward health care equity.