During the 1800’s while other countries were creating socialized medical programs, the United States chose not to act. The federal government decided to leave it up to the states and the states chose to leave it up to local programs. In the early 20th century, some programs were created to help the working class but by most standards, nothing nationwide was created for the most people. During the Progressive Era, President Theodore Roosevelt supported a national health care system but could not get the support to get it created in the legislature. The American Association of Labor Legislation (AALL) started lobbying for a national health care in the early 1900’s. Throughout the early 1900’s, this group was able to work with the American Medical Association (AMA) as well as other special interest groups. With the events of the early 1900’s such as World War I and the Great Depression, emphasis was taken off a national health care system and placed on other important issues.
During Franklin D. Roosevelt’s tenure as President, there were efforts to create a national health care system, but each effort failed due to several key reasons. One reason was linked to the word “socialized medicine” and how Germany and much of Europe was able to create and sustain their programs for many years. During this time period in the 1930’s and 1940’s, many Americans did not want to be associated with anything that would connect them to the Germans or any other program labeled “socialist”. Many of the special interest groups such as the American Hospital Association and the AMA lobbied heavily in Congress to defeat any form of a national health care system.
Two programs were created in the mid 1960’s. Medicaid (Title XIX of the Social Security Act) and the Medicare program (Title XVIII). By definitions, the Medicare program is a program which receives funding from the federal government but is aimed at helping “retirees, disabled workers, and their spouses and dependents”. On the other hand, Medicaid is administered by both the states and the federal government. The states receive the money from the federal government to provide health care and other services to low income families and other people who show a need. (ASPE, 2005).
Flash forward to modern day health care. It would not be a stretch to say that the system may be broken and in need of some serious reform. The buzzwords “healthcare reform” can be found in much of today’s news. Each of the special interest groups that have helped to shape the historical picture of health care during the 1900’s pretty much has a hand in how it is forming for the future. The American Medical Association, the American Hospital Association and the American Nurses Association spend billions of dollars a year to make their interests known to Congress both in Washington, DC and in all 50 states.
Because the life expectancy of men and women has steadily increased over the last 100 years, the need of health care has also increased. Humans need to have access to medical and dental care that will help them to be a productive member of society. People who are ill or disabled and cannot work, must have programs to provide for them. Think about working at a job for 10- 15 years. If you are sick and unable to work, no one will provide the money necessary to keep your home or car. Having access to medical and dental care is important for all Americans who are trying to live a productive life. According to the Current Population Survey (CPS) administered by the Census Bureau, 2.3 percent of workers will have an absence from work during a typical week due to injury or illness. That affects economies on a local, state and national level.
Secondly, according to Derek Thompson writing for The Atlantic “for the first time in history, health care has surpassed manufacturing and retail, the most significant job engines of the 20th century, to become the largest source of jobs in the U.S.”. (Thompson, 2018, page 1). Healthcare is big business. The amount of dollars generated in a local economy can be staggering. Many people within a local economy rely on jobs generated by the healthcare industry. There have been many hospitals that have gone under in small towns in Mississippi over the more recent years. This has resulted in many of these local economies to fail as well. The hospitals and their co-existing services such as doctor’s offices were the backbone of small towns.
In conclusion, a robust health care in the United States is needed to keep people healthier and alive longer so they can be a productive member of society. But I do believe the healthcare industry itself needs to become healthier so towns and cities which rely on the dollars generated can remain alive as well.
References:
Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation (2005) Retrieved
Census Bureau (2020) Retrieved https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/cps.html
Thompson, Derek (January 9, 2018). Health Care Just Became the U.S.'s Largest Employer. The Atlantic.
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