The basic economic difficulties and some of the major problems of patients in the United States, created and intensified by TB, are discussed in this paper. Two major economic problems are listed. Provision for economic care ranges from little assistance in some communities to a minimum relief standard in others, with many intermediate variations. Concerning, emotional problems, those connected to the acceptance of diagnosis are of great significance. Several representative cases are described to illustrate the varying emotions patients experience. There is a growing interest to extend social services to address the above social problems and the social worker plays an important role in studying, evaluating and treating the social and economic problems of TB patients.