Module 10, Assignment 2

Health care reform in the United States has a long history, and it has
dated back to right after World War II had ended. The topic has weaved
through all administrations in some form or another and inched its way
through time. The biggest debate can be boiled down to a basic argument, is
it a right or a privilege? The latest government attempt and most sweeping is
the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010.
The growth of the United States population and the need to provide for
certain segments of that population has dictated the struggle of reform in
our society. It has been problematic for all presidents, and each
administration has attempted to add or fix some portion of health care. Harry
S. Truman is the first to attempt overall reform, however it failed as it was
decried socialized medicine. The first real change occurred during the 60s
with the advent of Social Security Act of 1965(SSA) which included Medicare
and Medicaid insurances. Administration through the 80s spent most of their
time trying to correct some of the issues with the SSA with only a brief
mention of universal coverage for all by President Carter which could never
gain traction. The Clinton administration in the 90s again attempted a
universal plan but after political wrangling we ended up with the Health
Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA). All of the
arguments and discussions that surround reform all boil down to one basic
argument. Is health care a right or a privilege?
The United States has always struggled with the basic concept of
health care. It was not guaranteed in the constitution, and most politicians
are split down party lines. The question on its merits for this discussion break
down to a very basic moral requirement against can you legislate something
before deciding it is a right or a privilege. The first big swipe came in 2010
with the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA).

The ACA was the brainchild of the Obama administration and was the
largest and most thorough mandate of its kind . It called for the 3 types of
insurance coverage, Employer sponsored, Government sponsored, and
individually purchased. The ACA also called for these plans to have minimum
levels of care as well as the elimination of any and all pre-existing condition
clauses. It for all intent and purpose mandated that health care is a right for
all US citizens. The ACA is not without its detractors as it has been tested
mainly around the penalty language in the act which is been upheld as it
was called a tax. It will be interesting to see how this legislation stands the
test of time.
The United States is still a very young country, and it is hard to
determine what the future of health care will hold. The Social Security Act,
HIPAA, and the ACA are all attempts to fix a broken system; however the
real test is the people or patients of the system to determine what the next
phase will be.

References:
J W Taylor, JD(2014, Feb 11),A brief history on the road to healthcare reform:
from Truman to Obama, Beckers Hospital Review, Retrieved from:
http://www.beckershospitalreview.com/news-analysis/a-brief-history-onthe-road-to-healthcare-reform-from-truman-to-obama.html
M Maruthappu, R Ologunde, A Gunarajasingam,(2012, Dec 15), Is health care
a right?Health reform in the USA and their impact upon the concept of
care, Science Direct Vol.1, Issue 2 (2013), retrieved from:
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2049080113700219