A Historic Timeline of Health Care Legislation for the Disabled

posted on Mar 25 by Admin in the Disability Law, Disability News, Healthcare category

(This information was provided by the Associated Press)

Here is a list of important changes in the history of American health care that affect disabled people:

_1798: The Act for the Relief of Sick and Disabled Seamen in 1798 marks the beginning of federal involvement in health care.

_1924: The Veterans Act of 1924 codifies and extends federal responsibilities for health care services to veterans, who receive aid if they are injured in the line of service.

_1935: President Roosevelt signs The Social Security Act into law. This act provides pensions and other benefits to the elderly. National health insurance is left out of the final Social Security bill because of the opposition of organized medicine and its allies.

_1945: President Truman recommends a national health insurance program during a special address to Congress. The McCarran-Fergurson Act of 1945 exempts the insurance industry from federal antitrust legislation

_1951: Truman creates, by executive order, the President’s Commission on the Health Needs of the Nation. The commission was to determine the nation’s health requirements, both immediate and long-term, and to recommend courses of action to meet those needs.

_1962: President Kennedy renews his 1961 request that the old-age, survivors and disability provisions of the Social Security Act be amended to provide health insurance protection for the aged.

_1965: President Johnson signs into law the landmark federal health insurance programs known as Medicare and Medicaid.

_1977: The Health Care Financing Administration is created to manage Medicare and Medicaid separately from the Social Security Administration.

_1990: The Americans with Disabilities Act provides a broad range of protections for the disabled.

_Jan. 19, 2010: Republican Scott Brown’s upset in the Massachusetts Senate seat opened by Sen. Kennedy’s death deprives Democrats of the 60 votes needed to move legislation forward. The effort to reconcile health overhaul bills passed by the House and Senate is stalled.

_March 2010: Democratic leaders in Congress employ parliamentary maneuvers in hopes of enabling passage of Obama’s plan with a simple majority in the Senate.

_March 21, 2010: On a 219-212 vote the House passes landmark legislation aimed at extending insurance to 32 million people and achieving nearly universal coverage.

_March 23, 2010: President Obama signs the legislation into law.