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Sylvain Fribourg, MD
Panorama City, Calif

JAMA. 1991;266(9):1215.

	Since this article does not have an abstract, we have provided the first 150 words of the full text PDF and any section headings.

To the Editor.

— It is certainly noble for Dr Moore¹ to say, "Let's provide primary care to all uninsured Americans— now!," but there is nothing in our constitutional republic that establishes a precedent for this, no matter how reasonable and humane it seems, and the costs and sacrifices that would need to be borne by all to provide such universal service are hardly touched.

Health care is no more to be guaranteed than is optimal nutrition, universal housing, employment, or legal representation, or any other of life's desirables, such as clothing, education, entertainment, and so on. We may need to be sure that all those unable to afford health care insurance are not spending their money—money that could be used to pay health insurance premiums—on such items as baseball games, movie tickets, beer, and cigarettes.

The definition of what is primary health care will need determination. Will all . . . [Full Text PDF of this Article]

Footnotes
Edited by Drummond Rennie, MD, Deputy Editor (West), and Bruce B. Dan, MD, Senior Editor.

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