Should the U.S. include a public option to lower costs of health care?

 

This image appeared on Komo news internet site on November 21, 2009.  The picture was included in an article titled, “Health care reform bill clears first Senate hurdle.”  Although this photo is iconic, it is important because it identifies the major people who oppose the president’s plan for health care reform.  This photo is journalistic in the sense that it supports the journalist’s story, but could be considered institutional because it contains the prominent leaders of the Republican opposition in the U.S. Senate.  The purpose of the picture is to show how large and therefore complex the bill is.  In the frame is Minority leader Senator Mitch McConnell of Kentucky and several of his fellow republicans with a copy of the democratic health care reform bill taken in the U.S. Capitol Building in Washington D.C.  The overwhelmed look on the senator’s faces reveals the mood. 

 

This photograph appeared in the fairly conservative Christian Science Monitor news papers.  It was photographed on December 21, 2009 on the steps of the Capitol in Washington D.C.  While not an iconic image the photo does contain key democratic players in the health care reform debate.  As an intricate part of this news story has a journalistic perspective.  Again it may also be considered institutional because shows key Senators in front of the senate.  This image was paid for by the Associated Press, trying to show the democrats talking and working together.  In the frame it shows Senator Charles Schumer, Senator John Kerry and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid at the entrance of the Senate.  A determined look is on the faces of the people in the image.

Timeline Assignment

Should the U.S. create a health care system to cover all citizens?

1. 1912 Teddy Roosevelt  and his Progressive Party included health insurance in platform. 
2. 1933-1945 Franklin Delano Roosevelt got social security passed, but health insurance failed.
3. 1965 Lyndon B. Johnson signs Medicare and Medicaid into law, covering people of 65 and over.
4. 1973 President Nixon’s plan for national health insurance rejected by liberals & labor unions, but his “War on Cancer” centralizes research at the NIH.
5. 1980 there is a shift toward privatization and corporatization of healthcare.
6. 1993 Clinton health plan was put forward, but failed to pass congress.
7. 1996 AARP makes health care a main topic of interest.
8. 2003 Prescription coverage added to Medicare.
9. 2008 Senator Barack Obama runs, promising health care reform.
10. 2009 Versions of Health Care reform pass both houses of Congress.

 

Relevant Links

1. Let’s finish reform right.  This site supports major changes to health care including a public option.
2. Republican Stand on health care reform.   This shows the Republican stance in opposition to current health care proposals.
3. Guiding principles of Obama’s reforms.   This site helped me learn some of the major goals of the current president’s reform.
4. Department of Health and Human Services.  This site explained Secretary Sebelius’ view of current needs.
5. Why small business opposes Obama health care plan.  This helped me understand some opposition to the reform. 

 

I have created this timeline to show some of the historical points along with current issues of health care.  The dates shown above help outline health care coverage and the changes made or that are trying to be changed.  With the information I found it will help me learn more about the current effects of the health care.  This information will also help me learn whether or not the U.S. should create a health care system to cover all citizens.

Health Care

A big topic in the United States today is the Health Care Bill.  I will be researching this topic to find out what the bill includes and what the effect will be on all sorts of people.  This could range from people that have health care through jobs, pay for it independently, or can not afford it.  As of right now the bill will not take affect for 4 more years, which by this time I will be out of school.  So I would like to do some more research, interview people and get some perspective on this issue.