Poor design : The ubiquitous risk of becoming uninsured -- Shoddy construction : the incomplete insurance of the insured -- Rebuild, don't renovate : the sobering lesson from our health policy history -- A universal commitment : what the insurance of the "uninsured" teaches us -- Origin stories : why this social contract? -- What is to be done : Why universal health insurance is the only answer -- Adequacy, not equality : what universal coverage won't do -- The foundation : coverage must be automatic -- Free and clear : no patient fees -- A shack, not a chateau : basic coverage should be very basic -- Trust the process : deciding what to cover -- Budget matters : relax, we can afford it -- Beyond basic : designing supplemental insurance -- Home inspection : taking stock -- Epilogue : can it be built?

"A lively and provocative proposal for American health care reform"--