Medicare
Medicare: Past, Present, and Future
The History of Medical Insurance
The idea for a national health plan was not something considered to be a priority of American government prior to the 1940’s. President Harry S. Truman was the first president to push the issue to the United States Congress in 1945. Truman called for the creation of a national health insurance plan that would be aviailable to all Americans. He envisioned coverage for hospital visits, dental care, nursing care, and doctor’s visits. The plan would cover any medical expenses that were considered typical medical expenses. Although Truman envisioned this plan, he was unsuccessful in getting Congress to approve such a vast undertaking during his term (2).
President John F. Kennedy also made an unsuccessful attempt at persuading Congress to enact a national health care coverage plan during his term in the 1960’s (2). The push for a national health care coverage plan, especially for the elderly, came from the economic problem that health care costs increase as a person ages, and income declines within this same period. Prior to medicare, only a little over half of those aged 65 or older had some type of health care coverage. Additionally, those who did have health care coverage were at risk for being terminated from that coverage once they reached a certain age limit. Older individuals were considered to be in a high risk category for health problems, therefore insurace companies did not want to insure them (3).
Health care coverage was not a pressing issue in the 1920’s and the years prior. This was due to realtively low medical expenditures for individuals and families. In 1918, the Bureau of Labor Statistics conducted a survey of 211 families in the Columbus, Ohio area. They found that only 7.6% of a family’s medical expenditures were paid for hospital care. The families reported that the largest cost of medical care was that a sick person could not work. It was discovered that lost wages due
The History of Medical Insurance
The idea for a national health plan was not something considered to be a priority of American government prior to the 1940’s. President Harry S. Truman was the first president to push the issue to the United States Congress in 1945. Truman called for the creation of a national health insurance plan that would be aviailable to all Americans. He envisioned coverage for hospital visits, dental care, nursing care, and doctor’s visits. The plan would cover any medical expenses that were considered typical medical expenses. Although Truman envisioned this plan, he was unsuccessful in getting Congress to approve such a vast undertaking during his term (2).
President John F. Kennedy also made an unsuccessful attempt at persuading Congress to enact a national health care coverage plan during his term in the 1960’s (2). The push for a national health care coverage plan, especially for the elderly, came from the economic problem that health care costs increase as a person ages, and income declines within this same period. Prior to medicare, only a little over half of those aged 65 or older had some type of health care coverage. Additionally, those who did have health care coverage were at risk for being terminated from that coverage once they reached a certain age limit. Older individuals were considered to be in a high risk category for health problems, therefore insurace companies did not want to insure them (3).
Health care coverage was not a pressing issue in the 1920’s and the years prior. This was due to realtively low medical expenditures for individuals and families. In 1918, the Bureau of Labor Statistics conducted a survey of 211 families in the Columbus, Ohio area. They found that only 7.6% of a family’s medical expenditures were paid for hospital care. The families reported that the largest cost of medical care was that a sick person could not work. It was discovered that lost wages due