A look at key issues in the health care debate:
(The Associated Press)
THE ISSUE: Which former presidents have attempted comprehensive health care reform and why hasn’t anyone succeeded?
THE POLITICS: Many have tried. Only Lyndon Johnson achieved transcendent reform, with passage of Medicare and Medicaid protecting the elderly and poor, but universal coverage has been an elusive goal for over a century. Franklin Roosevelt promoted national health insurance but gave priority to jobs and retirement security during the Depression. Harry Truman fought for a single insurance system to cover everyone but ran into Republican opposition and the cries of “socialized medicine” heard … Continue Reading




