when was the idea of national health care insurance first debated in the united states
History of health care reform in the United States In the first 10â€“15 years of the 20th century Progressivism was influencing both Europe and the United States.[5] Many European countries were passing the first social welfare acts and forming the basis for compulsory government-run or voluntary subsidized health care programs.[6] The United Kingdom passed the National Insurance Act of 1911 that provided medical care and replacement of some lost wages if a worker became ill. It did not, however, cover spouses or dependents. U.S. efforts to achieve universal coverage began with progressive health care reformers who supported Theodore Roosevelt for President in 1912, though he was defeated.[7] Progressives campaigned unsuccessfully for sickness insurance guaranteed by the states.[8] A unique American history of decentralization in government, limited government, and a tradition of classical liberalism are all possible explanations for the suspicion around the idea of compulsory government-run insurance.[6] The American Medical Association (AMA) was also deeply and vocally opposed to the idea,[8] which it labeled "socialized medicine". In addition, many urban US workers already had access to sickness insurance through employer-based sickness funds.
Health care in the United States Healthcare is subject to extensive regulation at both the federal and the state level, much of which "arose haphazardly".[74] Under this system, the federal government cedes primary responsibility to the states under the McCarran-Ferguson Act. Essential regulation includes the licensure of health care providers at the state level and the testing and approval of pharmaceuticals and medical devices by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and laboratory testing. These regulations are designed to protect consumers from ineffective or fraudulent healthcare. Additionally, states regulate the health insurance market and they often have laws which require that health insurance companies cover certain procedures,[75] although state mandates generally do not apply to the self-funded health care plans offered by large employers, which exempt from state laws under preemption clause of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act.