Rebuilding a healthy social contract for the U.S. requires focusing on health as a foundation for the “safety and happiness” of the people. Those are the words used in the Declaration of Independence as a translation of the ancient Roman dictum salus populi suprema lex esto (“let the health of the people be the supreme law”). We must begin the pursuit of a foundation for health from the principle that we do not abandon anyone, from a concept of solidarity that is a deep but submerged strand in American history. We must also expand our understanding of health from a strictly medical definition to a social definition to support human flourishing.