FRONTLINE and NPR investigate the growing inequities in American healthcare exposed by COVID-19. The Healthcare Divide examines how pressure to increase profits and uneven government support are widening the divide between rich and poor hospitals, endangering care for low-income populations.
To begin to understand what qualifies as a safety net and how the lack of a common definition could impact patient care, FRONTLINE spoke to experts in public health, medicine and hospital administration.
This past year America's more than 300 safety-net hospitals found themselves on the front lines of the coronavirus pandemic, which disproportionately affected the communities safety-net hospitals are most likely to serve.