Universal Healthcare : We almost had it in 1948

[tranche]

It's pretty obvious there's a lot of grumbling and calls to flush Obama down the toilet. A nice article:

As usual, the president said it best: "Millions of our citizens do not have a full measure of opportunity to achieve and enjoy good health care. Millions do not now have protection or security against the economic effects of sickness. The time has arrived for action to help them attain that opportunity and that protection."

And the president was right. However, that wasn't Barack Obama in 2009. That was Harry S. Truman, addressing a joint session of Congress, in 1945. Can you believe it? His legislation to provide universal health care failed by only a few votes, and Congress has done nothing about it ever since.

http://www.courant.com/news/politics/sns-200906181556tmsbpresstt--m-a20090618jun18,0,7889375.story

[andym]

1. Btw, It wasn't defeated by the "evil" insurance companies

It was defeated by the AMA and friends!

[Demoiselle]

2. I've heard that it was also defeated by Dixiecrats.

They were afraid that national health insurance would force hospitals in the South to integrate.
Anybody know anymore about it?

[NYC_SKP]

3. I don't have any trouble believing that. nt

[Nicholas D Wolfwood]

5. ...which gets a significant portion of its funding from insurance companies. (nt)

[andym]

6. Not so much back then nt.

[damntexdem]

4. And in 1964, and in 1973, and in 1994.

As a country, we're very good at ALMOST getting health care coverage reform. What we're not good at is GETTING health care coverage reform.