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The history of health care and health insurance is a fairly new concept in the United States. The first health assistance plans began to surface during the Civil War but they only covered accidents which were related to travel. These plans covered people who were traveling by train or boat. These early plans were the inspiration for health plans that covered more medical expenses such as illness and hospital benefits. The first acknowledged history of a health care plan dates back to 1847 and originated out of Boston.
It was in 1929 that a more modern style of health assistance was formed. This came about when a group of teachers approached Baylor Hospital in Dallas, Texas and offered to pay a monthly fee if they could live there and have access to medical care. Shortly after this event there were life insurance companies looking at the prospect of offering health assistance insurance to go along with their life policies.
It is with little surprise that when you start searching the history of health care in this country you run across the name of Blue Cross and Blue Shield. Blue Cross began negotiating with workers and facilities to offer health assistance at a discount. In return for this discount Blue Cross would pay a large portion of the bill. This appealed to the industry because it meant they would get their money within a reasonable amount of time and their clientele would increase.
The Need For Health Care In Our Country
It soon became evident that certain members of the population were not able to afford to pay their health care costs nor were they able to work in order to take advantage of the health care benefit. Seniors and persons with disabilities were faced with rising costs which they were unable to pay. A look at the history of health care shows us that the government came up with a plan to cover all retired citizens who were over the age of 65. The Medicare program was established with funds that were collected from the wages of employed workers. The idea was that you would pay your premiums while you were young but you would not receive your benefits until you retired.
When looking at the history of health care we see where the government had to make further efforts to offer insurance coverage to those who were disabled or lived below the poverty level. Medicare can now cover an individual who is unable to work because of a disability even if they are not 65. Medicaid was also established for those who cannot afford health coverage or health insurance. For many reasons there is fear that this system is beginning to fail and there is an urgent need for health protection reform. It is time for the United States to take a good long look at their current health care issues.