The plight of the uninsured is a serious social problem, and not only for those without… The plight of the uninsured is a serious social problem, and not only for those without health coverage, according to a panel discussion held Tuesday.

The discussion, titled “The Moral and Economic Consequences of the Uninsured: The Challenge for Today and Tomorrow’s Healthcare Leaders,” brought together a group of academics and healthcare officials to analyze the widespread implications of an inefficient healthcare system in the United States.

The panel was held at the Pitt’s School of Medicine as part of Cover The Uninsured Week, a unified national effort by corporate, educational, religious and social organizations to raise awareness on the issue, including the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, the Catholic Health association of the United States and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.

Similar events took place at campuses across the country, according to the organization’s Web site.

The four panel participants offered varying perspectives on the issue with their brief introductions before the forum opened up for questions from the audience.

Dr. Judith Lave, professor at the Graduate School of Public Health and co-director of the Center for Research on Healthcare, gave an overview of the main problems facing the uninsured. People who are uninsured are less likely to receive regular medical care and have lower life expectancies, delayed detection of disease and overall poorer health, she said.

She added that children in particular are significantly affected if they live in an uninsured family, because parents often prohibit their children from engaging in activities that may put them in danger.

Elisa Nigrini, a Pitt medical student, offered insight as a soon-to-be health professional. Citing personal experiences from working at a women’s shelter, she said that uninsured people tend to mistrust the current medical system because it is so selective.

Dr. James Dwyer, a professor at the Center for Bioethics and Health Law and the associate director of the Consortium Ethics Program, used his time to discuss the moral and ethical case of the uninsured dilemma. He said as a society which values justice, America needs to provide healthcare opportunities for everybody. He added that Americans should re-evaluate their sense of responsibility to improving society.

“We live in a society that overemphasizes individual responsibility and underemphasizes social responsibility,” he said.

He added that raising awareness among citizens about the significance of the problem is essential to revamping the system.

“We need to gently, or rudely, confront people about this issue,” he said.

Dr. Thuy Bui, director of the Program for Healthcare to Underserved Populations, echoed the moral sentiments of Dwyer, adding that citizens cannot rely on corporate mediums to solve the problem.

The subsequent question-and-answer session allowed both the panelists and the audience members to further explore the complexities of the issue. A major topic of conversation was the increasing economic influence in the medical profession. Competition among healthcare providers and medical centers often overshadows the sense of social responsibility in providing healthcare to everyone.

Recent Census Bureau data sets the estimate for uninsured Americans at 41.2 million people, including 8.5 million children. Eight out of 10 of these people are in working families that cannot afford health insurance.