U.S. Health Care Reform: 2009 to Present
Jeffery Petit
POL497 Political Science Capstone
Instructor: Paul Edleman
08/08/2016
For this assignment I selected “The Policy and Legislation Debate for U.S. Health Care Reform 2009 – present. I believe that we are in need of health care reform because the current system although previously revamp with the Afford able health care plan is still not working for everyone. In 2009, 50.7 million of the population in the United States had no health insurance; this reflects 16.7 percent of the total population, and 10 percent under the age of 18 (Wolf, 2010). The new law put forth by President Barack Obama is structured to help a greater number of people in poorer and middle-income
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Many people under the age of 65 remained without health insurance. Senator Edward Kennedy created a proposal resulting from a report reflecting the crisis of health care in this country, as did President Richard Nixon as a counter to the Kennedy plan. Kennedy’s proposal recommended a national health budget funded by payroll taxes; while Nixon’s plan called for voluntary participation and the replacement of the Medicaid program with a program that supported working, poor people and the unemployed. Health reform had become a bipartisan effort by 1974. A slow economy did not obstruct President Carter’s effort for National Health Care, but he did emphasize the need for cost-containment as it applied to this new initiative. This shift slowed the proceedings down greatly, with supporters such as Ted Kennedy proceeding with another plan – one that allowed a small package for businesses to provide to employees, an expansion of coverage for the aged and the poor, and “a new public corporation created to sell coverage to everyone else” (Hoffman, 2009). Neither plan passed Congressional …show more content…
According to Bovbjerg and Hadley (2007), the following is true: members of our society who have no insurance receive medical care in lesser amounts and in less timely fashion; health outcomes for those without insurance are 25 percent higher than for those diagnosed with chronic illnesses; families with no insurance carry a large financial burden – making the expansion of coverage a greater benefit than the costs that are for services added. We must find a solution to this problem; we are the wealthiest nation in the world and yet we provide no universal health care for our citizens. The level of the role the government must play must be explored until a resolve is found to the satisfaction of the majority.
Topic: U.S. Health Care Reform legislation debate and policy circa 2009 to present
Research Question: What role can and should the federal government play in the provision of health care?
THREE HYPOTHESES:
1. The government-run health insurance option will have a higher enrollment rate of Americans compared to the private insurance
The government would be the sole determiner of the number of medical professionals that could work.”( Creech, Mark H. “Universal Health Care Is Unbiblical. ) Is access to health care a human right, or a valued social good, or neither? In 2003 the Institute of Medicine published a report, Insuring America's Health, which contained five principles for evaluating various strategies for health care reform. The first principle, "the most basic and important," was that health care coverage should be universal. The idea that access to health care should be universal, however, has become one of the most hotly debated issues in the ongoing discussion of how to reform the U.S. healthcare system. In Opposing Viewpoints: Universal Health Care, authors explores the
President Obama’s pledge to pay for the program by taxing the rich, who is anyone that makes more than $1 million a year (which would include President Obama) and will make for “a marketplace that provides choice and competition” (Conniff, 2009). He also proposes that reform is about every American who has ever feared losing their coverage if they become too sick, lose their jobs or even change their jobs. It’s realizing that the biggest force behind our deficit is the growing costs for Medicare and Medicaid programs.”
“According to the report, titled Income, Poverty and Health Insurance Coverage in the United States: 2010, 49.9 million Americans or 16.3 percent of the total US population had no health insurance in 2010. That percentage represents a slight increase on 2009’s figures, when 49 million citizens or 16.1 percent of the population was uninsured” (Gamser, 2011).
Long before the 1990s when Ms. Clinton fought for a Universal Healthcare system in America, the issue of America’s healthcare had been a political quandary. The enactment of the Republican administration’s Health Management Organization Act of 1973 was a weapon meant to address that crisis, yet, it did little to fix the problem. While the liberal Democrats are fighting for Universal Healthcare coverage for all Americans, the conservative Republicans are fighting to maintain the current private health insurance, however, with some revamping of the system, which preserves the capitalistic element of the status quo. The reason for the two opposing views stems from their differences in political ideologies, which theoretically is like pitting socialism against capitalism. While the liberal Democrats’ endorsement of Universal Healthcare system is socialistic in practice, the conservative Republicans’ fight to retain the private or market based plan is unarguably in support of their pro-capitalism stance. The truth, however, is that, though almost every American believes in capitalism, yet, almost none would vote to disband the Medicare and the Medicaid programs, both of which are socialistic. In that light, the argument of a pro-capitalist nation is negated, as we do already have a socialized healthcare program for the seniors and the poor. Extending that concept to include
In recent years, health care has been a huge topic in public debates, legislations, and even in deciding who will become the next president. There have been many acts, legislations, and debates on what the country has to do in regards to health care. According to University of Phoenix Read Me First HCS/235 (n.d.), “How health care is financed influences access to health care, how health care is delivered, the quality of health care provided, and its cost”.
During this time, Senator Kennedy made the first attempt since the Kennedy Administration to make efforts towards a major health reform. President Nixon’s National Health Insurance Act was in competition in Congress with Senator Kennedy’s Health Security Act. The Health Security Act would be like “Medicare for All” financed by a federal single-payer. This program would end the need for premiums and private health insurance. The Health Security act didn’t make it far in Congress, but it was good to resurface the topic of universal health insurance since the Truman Administration. (Markel, 2015)
The paper is broken up in to three sections. In section one, we will discuss the problems with the American Healthcare system and we will try and clear up some of the often misrepresented facts about the healthcare problems and solutions to fix them. In section two, we will present some of the solutions being put forward to fix the healthcare system, including plans by both Presidential Candidates
Consequently the U.S. spends more money than any other country on health care, and the medical care that is being provided may be compromised. Research has shown that the lack of health care insurance compromises a person’s health. However, there continues to be unnecessary death every year in the U.S. due to lack of health care
U.S. health care reform is currently one of the most heavily discussed topics in health discourse and politics. After former President Clinton’s failed attempt at health care reform in the mid-1990s, the Bush administration showed no serious efforts at achieving universal health coverage for the millions of uninsured Americans. With Barack Obama as the current U.S. President, health care reform is once again a top priority. President Obama has made a promise to “provide affordable, comprehensive, and portable health coverage for all Americans…” by the end of his first term (Barackobama.com). The heated debate between the two major political parties over health care reform revolves around how to pay for it and more importantly, whether it
When it comes to our health, a good healthcare plan is a very important subject for all individuals. Some even argue that it is a basic right to have one. Bernie Sanders stated, “Healthcare must be recognized as a right, not a privilege. Every man, woman, and child in our country should be able to access the health care they need regardless of their income…” (“Issues: Medicare for All”). However, reality tells us a whole different story. America is one of the most developed countries in the world with some of the best medical care. Yet, how can the people enjoy the benefits when it is almost unaffordable to most. People are afraid to fall sick just because they are afraid of how much it would cost. However, sometimes a doctor or hospital visit is unavoidable. In most cases, it comes at a great price, especially to the middle class and the elderly. Wealthy individuals are likely to reap the benefits of having an expensive healthcare plan, while the rest may suffer from the unimaginable cost of treatments, or even worse, live a risky life without insurance. An effective solution to this problem would be a Universal Healthcare System. This would ensure that all people have equal and affordable health coverage, centralized healthcare records for all individuals which will help easy diagnosis by doctors and reduce the intensive labor costs of medical billing. Moreover, it may boost the economy by freeing business from providing expensive healthcare benefits to workers.
This year being an election year means that the American people are confronted with many issues and disparities that plague our nation. One of these hot button topics is that of healthcare. The United States is the only developed nation without a universal healthcare system, but spends the most for health services. With so many Americans lacking the adequate care needed or facing bankruptcy due to piling medical bills, one must look at the health disparities that are causing this super power nation to inadequately serve its citizens.
“We will pass reform that lowers cost, promotes choice, and provides coverage that every American can count on. And we will do it this year.” The preceding is a powerful statement from the newly elected President Barak Obama. One of the main aspects of both political campaigns was health care reform. The above quote shows passion and encouragement, but the quotes about health care do not end there. Georgian republican gubernatorial candidate and health care policy maker John Oxendine expressed: “Their proposal would virtually devastate the private healthcare sector in this country along with competition and patient choice, by replacing it with bureaucratic planning and government control. The result of this plan and its one trillion
Due to the upcoming presidential election, the two major political parties, and their candidates, have been focusing on the primary problems that the nation will face. Chief among those problems is the future of Medicare, the national health-insurance plan. Medicare was enacted in 1965, under the administration of Lyndon B. Johnson, in order to provide health insurance for retired citizens and the disabled (Ryan). The Medicare program covers most people aged 65 or older, as well as handicapped people who enroll in the program, and consists of two health plans: a hospital insurance plan (part A) and a medical insurance plan (part B) (Marmor 22). Before Medicare, many Americans didn't have health
In this paper I will provide my understanding on why I feel Clinton’s Health Plan was unsuccessful. I will discuss the features of Clinton’s health care reform plan and provide my reasons I feel it failed. I will also discuss the influences of the various interests groups and governmental entities that were present during this process. Lastly I will discuss the policy process and policy environment key players that were involved and the other circumstances that shaped this policy-making effort.
During 1960 President Johnson signed the Economic Opportunity Act to go along with his “War on Poverty” and finally work- based insurance is known as a normal thing to have. While the employed are receiving health care insurance the retired Americans can not find good coverage that is affordable to them. Medicare and Medicaid law is signed which provides the elderly with medical coverage. The Medicaid program is set up to support state-run programs to assist the poor with medical cost, Medicare Part A covers hospital care and Medicare Part B covers general doctors. 1970 President Nixon extended the Medicare coverage to individuals under the age of sixty-five with long-term disabilities under the Social Security Amendment. Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act was enacted during the 1980’s which allowed workers and their families who lose health care benefits to still receive them for a certain period of time and under certain conditions. President Clinton tried to completely overhaul the health care system during the 90’s by introducing the Health Security Act. This would ensure individual and family security through health care coverage for all Americans but this bill did not pass. By 1997 the State Children’s Health Insurance Program extended the coverage to those children who come from low income families and do not qualify for Medicaid. This program is administered by the state but receives matching