NYT Ch.2 "Life at the Top of America Isn't Just Better, It's Longer"

This article recounts the stories of three similar, but in the end, very different, cases of heart attack. It follows a person in the top of the income distribution, the middle, and the bottom to compare and highlight the differences in benefits and healthcare that each person has.

Miele, a high income earner, is able to afford a doctor and immediate surgery after his heart attack, after which he maintains a strict diet and exercise regimen prescribed to him, assisted by his wife. With the finances to cover his medical expenses as well as spousal support, he is able to lose weight and reduce the risk of heart disease. Wilson, part of the middle class, is able to afford a doctor but has difficulty finding a cardiac rehab center and to stick to his diet because of the scarcity of stores in the vicinity that sell healthier foods. Finally Gora, at the lowest end of the income distribution ladder, cannot keep up a healthier diet at all, nor can she afford healthcare after her insurance cannot cover her bills.

This article points to a glaring inequality in the resources for healthcare that people have, an inequality that in addition to economic inequality, hinders people's chances of living a full and productive life. It also indicates problems in the healthcare system that cannot adequately cover the needs of people who cannot afford to pay and have to settle for subpar treatment. As a result, the people who can afford for proper care are able to live better and longer lives, while those who cannot pay for their medical expenses nor have the resources that the affluent have have higher chances of having their lives cut short by disease or accident.