1948-ish

Before the NHS*, before the war
'Peace' meant an inequality in health
where the wealthy divided the poor
into the worthy and the unworthy.
Where the latter were unworthy
because they disagreed
with enriching the already wealthy
as part of  'bettering themselves'.

Meanwhile in America
'good health' meant buying insurance
where the insurers and the hospitals
were a powerful cartel who held their customers
by where they hurt most-either the wallet or the body.
Hospital and employer based insurance
were there to be had from the 1920's
but only from the 1950's was the coverage
anywhere near even partially complete.

In the 1970's attempts were made
at making insurance coverage go further,
but the worthy wealthy still disliked
their not-worth-paying-for-poor.

Only in the 21st century
was limited care made to seem
anything like fully affordable.

As of  now a Covid test can cost
anything from $20 to $850
depending on where you live,
and still it probably
does not have to be
100% accurate. 

*Founded 1st July 1948.