What lessons can we infer from history around the efforts to

What lessons can we infer from history around the efforts to enact National Health Insurance and/or Health Reform

Solution

In the US, “history of health care reform” is one of the most important topics in the political debate since 20^th Century. Candidates try to increase their vote bank by proposing alternative reform proposals in the presidential election.

Several lessons can be learned from the history around the efforts to enact National Health Insurance and/or Health Reform. The national health care reform in the Country is majorly influenced by the power of president, lobbying strength, costs, and complexity of the issues.

President Truman recommended for universal health insurance coverage that would be administered by the National Health insurance board. However, his proposal was rejected due to huge oppositions from opponents as well as AMA. However, Mr. Truman’s efforts to increase the number of hospitals and modernizing them were achieved.

Later on, President Kennedy supported the King-Anderson bill that was designated to give insurance coverage to the people having the age of 65 or more. However, this bill was also rejected due to the opposition of AMA and other powerful people.

From President Johnson’s efforts, Social Security Amendments of 1965 was passed that provides insurance coverage to people having age of 65 or more. Besides this it also gives coverage to the poor, blind and disabled people.

President Nixon has played a crucial role in passing of the Health Maintenance Organization Act of 1973.    

President Ford has experienced escalating healthcare costs due to medical inflation. To cope with the problems, the National Health Planning and Resource Development Act of 1974 were passed that helped to remove duplication of healthcare facilities and services.

President Jimmy Carter put lot of efforts to calling for the National health insurance having universal coverage, although he did not received much success.

President Reagan has enacted several laws to reduce the federal expenses on health care. However, his administration passed the Medicare Catastrophic Coverage Act of 1988.

President George HW Bush faced a huge disappointment, resentment and revolt due to the Medicare Catastrophic Coverage Act of 1988, because the Act forced the people to pay higher premiums and taxes. Most of the Act was repealed after 16-17 months. President Bush has helped to reform major healthcare legislations.

After that, President Clinton was elected as the president. He proposed “American Health Security Act of 1993 to Congress. The Act was rejected due to huge opposition from most of the healthcare and health insurance industry. This Act proposed that the health insurance coverage should be provided by the private insurers and coordinated by the regional health alliances. The government passed one of the important Act, i.e. The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act.

President George W. Bush passed the Medicare Drug Improvement and Modernization Act of 2003 that helped in making numerous changes to the Medicare program.

Currently, healthcare reform is the most important priority of President Obama. He made several efforts to reduce the healthcare costs and make the medical coverage available for most of the people. However, he has not received much success as most of the reforms suggested by him are found to be pieces of the past proposals for major healthcare reform.   

From the above discussions on the history around the efforts to enact National Health Insurance and/or Health Reform, one can seek several lessons. For example, one should understand that people majorly oppose the reform proposals that put additional financial obligations on them. Although people support the idea of universal access of health care; but they do not want creating any financial obligation. Besides this, if an individual mandate the provisions attached with the current health care reform law, then it would lead to huge discontent in the public. This is evident from the huge opposition faced by President Obama.