Medical Insurance

Report Outline
Growth of Public Support for Health Insurance
British Experience with Health Insurance
Problems of Medical Service in United States
Proposals for National Health Insurance

Growth of Public Support for Health Insurance

Provision for a national system of health insurance is the leading feature of an omnibus bill to expand the Social Security System upon which the administration will seek favorable action by Congress at its present session. The “second Bill of Rights” set forth by President Roosevelt in his annual message to Congress, January 11, 1944, included “the right to adequate medical care” and “the right to adequate protection from the economic fears of old age, sickness, accident and unemployment.”

I ask the Congress to explore the means for implementing this economic bill of rights [the President said], for it is definitely the responsibility of Congress to do so. Many of these problems are already before committees of the Congress in the form of proposed legislation. I shall from time to time communicate with the Congress with respect to these and further proposals. In the event that no adequate program of progress is evolved, I am certain that the nation will be conscious of the fact.

The administration bill to expand the Social Security System contains a large number of proposals relating to old-age insurance, unemployment insurance and social security benefits for members of the armed forces, in addition to its plan for health insurance. The bill was offered in Congress, June 3, 1943, by Senators Wagner (D., N. Y.) and Murray (D., Mont.) and Rep. Dingell (D., Mich.), and is now pending before the Finance Committee of the Senate and the Ways and Means Committee of the House.