Was there any serious discussion on the healthcare system during the Pre-Obama era?

8 comments

1. Yeah, it had been overhauled a few times if I remember correctly. Like Obamacare, the price basically just doubled each time.

2. In the 90s under Clinton.

3. Hillary Clinton led a push in the 90s for universal healthcare.

4. Yes, from about 1972 to today, there has been consistent demand for Universal healthcare.

5. Absolutely. Richard Nixon and JFK both advocated for universal healthcare.

   Heck, Nixon even had some success with his kidneycare program, a model for what a. Universal system may look like – and is still in place today.

6. Yeah, Medicare and Medicaid were established as part of LBJ’s Great Society plan.

7. As others have told you, there were lots of serious discussions, going back to the 1960s.

   They couldn’t pass Congress. There just weren’t enough votes to get them passed. Compromises were made to get at least something through, and those compromises mean the system isn’t universal.

   As also mentioned with Nixon, we care for everyone who has end stage renal failure. That condition automatically qualifies anyone for Medicare, no matter what age or position in life.
   As a result of that, we have a huge medical dialysis industry in the US.
   [Here’s a Freakonomics podcast about it. You can read the transcript rather than listen. They also provide sources.](https://freakonomics.com/podcast/is-dialysis-a-test-case-of-medicare-for-all-ep-457/) Basically, it’s a huge industry that is handling far more than was ever anticipated.

8. Define “serious” discussion. If you mean “a lot,” then yes. If you mean “substantial,” then not much. The 1900’s were where all that was at.