On the other side, countless studies have shown that people with lower socioeconomic statuses experience poorer health outcomes across many health measures, relative to those with higher incomes. Evidence shows that the larger a nation’s inequality gap — or the difference in wealth between the most affluent and those with the least means — the poorer the health of the nation as a whole, even when access to medical treatment is similar across groups. Combined, this indicates that the path to good health, at the individual and societal levels, rests in large part on policy choices we make to support income and income security, not just those focused on health care. This is one way we can work together to improve the health of our population.
Eileen de Villa, Toronto’s medical officer of health
https://www.thestar.com/opinion/letters_to_the_editors/2018/04/24/your-letters-good-health-depends-on-policy-and-income-security.html