Health Care
By: Macie Enman and Shay Wilcox
History of Health Care
• 1847- Health care was first introduced as a group policy
that gave only a few benefits by Massachusetts Health
Insurance of Boston
• 1861- Health care plans began to form during the Civil
War, but these only covered accidents from rail or
steamboat travel
• 1890- First individual disability and illness policies were
issued
• 1929- First modern group health care plan established in
Dallas, Texas by negotiations: teachers pay monthly fees
to Baylor Hospital in exchange for medical services
• 1932- Blue Cross Blue Shield created – gave discounted
contracts
Policy-Making Actions
• The executive branch, meaning the President and his staff, are in charge of
proposing a health care bill. They write in the bill what health care policies they
want put in place and how they want to enforce them. For example, in the
Affordable Care Act of 2010, President Obama set up health care so that by the
year 2014, everyone in America will have some sort of health care. After this
branch is finished writing the bill, it is sent to be reviewed by the legislative
branch.
• The legislative branch is in charge of amending the health care bill, and voting on
whether it should become law or not. The same version of the bill must be passed
in both the House and Senate Then it is sent back to the president for his
approval. If the president okays the bill, it becomes a law.
• The judicial branch comes in when there is a debate over the law. It can determine
that some or all parts of the health care law are/is unconstitutional. Also, it can
determine how the law is to be administered if there is a case brought up about
that.
Interrelated Activity
• President Obama introduced
Patient Protection and
Affordable Care Act.
• It is sent to House of
Representatives Committees:
Energy And Commerce, Ways &
Means, Education &Labor
• It is sent to Senate Committees:
Finance and Health, Education,
Labor, & Pensions
• Regulatory Activity- Health and
Human Services (Bureaucracy)
• The Judicial Branch has the
power to rule the act
unconstitutional if it is taken to
court.
Role of Non-
Governmental Groups
• Interest Groups- AARP wants
Medicare to pay for most of health
care. They give Congress money to
favor their legislation.
• Media- They influence public opinion
about legislation.
• Opposing Lobbies- They cause
Congress to split on decisions as
opposite lobbies give money to
different Congress people.
Impact
• It improves access to health care for
all citizens.
• It regulates insurance companies
more.
• It imposes a new tax on business
investment.
• Led to much public discourse and a
split of public opinion.
Obama Care
AKA: The Affordable Care Act
• “In March 2010, Congress passed and the President signed into law the
Affordable Care Act, which puts in place comprehensive health
insurance reforms that will hold insurance companies more
accountable, lower health care costs, guarantee more health care
choices, and enhance the quality of health care for all Americans.”
• “To help lower costs, the Affordable Care Act:
– -sets up a new competitive private health insurance market - through
state Exchanges -- giving millions of Americans and small businesses access
to affordable coverage, and the same choices of insurance that members of
Congress will have.
– -holds insurance companies accountable by keeping premiums down and
preventing many types of insurance industry abuses and denials of care, and
ending discrimination against Americans with pre-existing conditions.
– -puts our budget and economy on a more stable path, since it is expected
to reduce the deficit by more than $100 billion over the next ten years -
and by more than $1 trillion over the second decade - by cutting government
overspending and reining in waste, fraud and abuse.”
– http://www.healthinsuranceproviders.com/health-care-reform/
Analysis of Policy
• I think the government’s intentions for health care policy are good, but
the way it is implemented may do more harm than originally thought.
Trying to ensure some sort of health care for everyone in the US is very
helpful. The people who normally could not pay for a plan now have
some sort of protection. Though, normally when the government steps
into the economy, it ends up suffering. I think this same thing will
happen with health care. By ensuring everyone in the US has some sort
of plan, they will be raising taxes for those that can afford it, to help
those that can’t pay for it. This will only make the ones who had health
care essentially pay more for the same or even worse plan than they
already had.
• I think a plan should be implemented that increases access to health
care, not necessarily demand that everyone has it. Therefore, having the
lowest priced health care plan affordable to almost everyone. Also, I
think there should be a sort of pay off system for those who do not have
health care but must pay medical bills. If they are able, they should be
put to work by the government to pay off the debt they have to the
medical institution.
Works Cited
• http://www.neurosurgical.com/medical_history_and_ethics/history/history_of_he
alth_insurance.htm
• http://dmsbulletin.hms.harvard.edu/?p=391
• http://arkansasgopwing.blogspot.com/2009/07/prescribed-by-congress.html
• http://ctbob.blogspot.com/2010/11/dems-slam-congressional-gopers-for.html
• http://www.sodahead.com/united-states/do-you-support-obamas-health-care-
plan/question-
520473/?link=ibaf&imgurl=http://www.ariven.com/system/files/images/healthca
re-main.jpg&q=healthcare%2Bin%2Bcongress
• http://blog.nj.com/njv_shenemans_sketchpad/2009/06/obamas_health_care_pla
n.html
• http://www.healthinsuranceproviders.com/health-care-reform/
• http://www.whitehouse.gov/healthreform/healthcare-overview#healthcare-menu
• http://www.kaiseredu.org/tutorials/reformprocess/player.html
• http://www.businessweek.com/investor/content/mar2010/pi20100322_662113.h
tm
• Book