How America’s Health Workers Lack Adequate Healthcare

FEATURING STEPHANIE WOOLHANDLER – Heartwarming stories of healthcare workers battling the Covid-19 pandemic are increasingly popular. Hailed as “heroes” the doctors, nurses, interns, paramedics, and other hospital staff are seen as the most important frontline workers in the crisis we face. Yet healthcare workers – like so many Americans – are themselves vulnerable to the virus with high-risk conditions like diabetes and heart disease. And, many struggle to access health care even though they are in the field of health care.

A new study of health care workers found that, “28.6% of all patient-contact personnel lack paid sick leave, including 1.12 million of those with underlying health problems. About 275,000 health care workers with high-risk conditions are also uninsured, including 11.4% of those with diabetes, and 20.8% of those with chronic lung disease.”

Read the study HERE.

Stephanie Woolhandler, distinguished professor at Hunter College, and co-founder of Physicians for a National Health Program, co-author of a new study on health coverage of health workers.