Kaiser Health News posted a blog in 2009 that talks about a Comprehensive Health Insurance Plan that was once proposed by President Richard Nixon. I’ve noticed that this is being passed around the internet right now, shortly before the Supreme Court reveals its ruling regarding the Affordable Care Act.
President Barack Obama is not the only President of the United States who showed interest in creating a better health insurance system. Kaiser Health News has a transcription of something similar that was proposed by President Richard Nixon in 1974. It is called “President Richard Nixon’s Special Message to the Congress Proposing a Comprehensive Health Insurance Plan”.
In short, the proposal is urging Congress to set up a nationwide, comprehensive, health care system. It seems that many of the problems that Americans are currently having in regards to finding affordable health care today are not new problems. This has been an issue since at least the 1970’s.
There are some very interesting parts of this proposal. For example, Nixon said:
“Without adequate health care, no one can make full use of his or her talents and opportunities. It is thus just as important that economic, racial and social barriers not stand in the way of good health care as it is to eliminate those barriers to a good education and a good job.”
There were seven principles that Nixon’s plan was organized around. “First, it offers every American an opportunity to obtain a balanced, comprehensive range of health benefits. Second, it will cost no American more than he can afford to pay. Third, it builds on the strength and diversity of our existing public and private system of health financing and harmonizes into an overall system.”
“Fourth, it uses public funds only where needed and requires no Federal taxes. Fifth, it would maintain freedom of choice by patients and ensure that doctors work for their patient, not for the Federal Government. Sixth, it encourages more effective use of our health care resources. And finally, it is organized so that all parties would have a direct stake in making the system work, consumer, provider, insurer, State governments, and the Federal government.”
Nixon wanted to improve Medicare, and create an Assisted Health Insurance program for low-income people who were ineligible for the existing State and Federal programs. “There would be no exclusions of coverage based on the nature of illness”. Nixon also wanted the Comprehensive Health Insurance Program to cover treatment for mental illness, alcoholism, and drug addiction.
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