Chronology of Federal Action
Milestones in Health Care Reform
For almost a century, presidents and Members of Congress have tried and failed to enact legislation providing universal health benefits to Americans. 1912 — Former President Theodore Roosevelt, campaigning on the Progressive Party ticket, calls for universal health insurance coverage. 1932 — A commission headed by Interior Secretary Ray Lyman Wilbur finds that millions of Americans lack access to adequate medical attention and recommends expansion of group medical practices and repayment systems to spread financial risk. The American Medical Association denounces the recommendations as “socialist.” 1933 — President Franklin Roosevelt asks those drafting Social Security legislation to include publicly funded…
