MINNEAPOLIS, March 25, 2008—MinnPost today published a commentary about health care inequality by Joan Cleary, vice president of the Blue Cross Blue Shield of Minnesota Foundation. In it she urges Minnesotans to watch the March 27 PBS special, Unnatural Causes: Is Inequality Making Us Sick?

In the commentary, Cleary asks why America has one of the lowest life expectancies and the worst disease outcomes of any major nation, despite spending the most on medical care.

"In Minnesota," Cleary writes, "we take pride in the fact that we are widely regarded as one of the healthiest states in the nation overall. However, a closer examination of health data by race, ethnicity, income and education reveal an alarming pattern of health disparities. In our state, as in other states, the root causes of health disparities tend to lie 'upstream.'"

The Unnatural Causes series demonstrates the importance of a social-determinants approach to health, Cleary says. "Public health systems in Canada, Australia and northern Europe are adopting upstream approaches by addressing social, economic and environmental influences on health, and they're working."

The Unnatural Causes series premieres Thursday, March 27, on TPT (Channel 17 in the Twin Cities.

Complete MinnPost commentary