Great Society Paper Never before had a president given his State of the Union address on the day a new Congress convened. But nine hours after the 89th Congress took the oath of office Jan. 4, 1965 – and more than two weeks before his own inauguration – Lyndon Baines Johnson stood before a joint session in the House chamber, hailing the excitement of great expectations. The audience was unprecedented in its breadth: It was the first speech of its kind delivered for national prime-time television. But the audience was no grander than the sweep of Johnsons ambition: His agenda was the most far-reaching since the dawn of the New Deal. Johnson demanded the first national health insurance for the aged, the first expansive federal assistance for education, the first stiff controls on polluters, and the first federal patronage of the arts.
He called for aid to cities, to the poor, to the police, to small farmers, to Appalachia. Alongside these creations, Johnson sought an end to discriminatory immigration laws, an end to most federal excise taxes and an end to voter-registration laws that kept Southern blacks from the polls. (Congress Record) The Medicare program has made significant changes socially, politically, and especially economically, and vice versa. Even as we speak, the U.S. government is trying to improve and preserve this critical program, and hopefully will continue to do so in the future. Although the elderly are the main beneficiaries for Medicare, just about everyone in society is affected one way or another.
The Essay on Texas Vs Johnson
H.W. 46 What role did Theodore Roosevelt play in the Progressive Movement? 1. Define what Roosevelt meant by Square Deal Roosevelt meant by the Square Deal that the mining operators did not have a choice. They had to submit to what the government said and had to make a deal with the union, led by Mitchell. In a sense, they really had no end in the, consequently called the 2. Explain Roosevelt role ...
Anyone who earns a paycheck is aware of the fact that a small percentage is taken by the government for programs like Medicare and Social Security. Is it fair for the elderly to receive free or reduced health care at the expense of other workers income? Well, theoretically, you put in your own money throughout your life which will come back to you after you retire, providing medical coverage. So one would give now, and receive later. In that aspect it sounds like a fair deal. However, with all of the medical advancements and a growing concern for personal health nowadays, more and more people are living longer and longer. Also, the huge Baby Boom generation is approaching retirement, which wont help matters any.
This results in them draining the Medicare funds for a longer amount of time, which is a current dilemma now. The public would undoubtedly frown upon an additional amount of money taken away from them for a service they dont use, and possibly never will use. But the elderly are not the only group of people who enjoy Medicare. Physicians are the ones who get a large chunk of the Medicare funds. (Guzman) Most of the political debates concerning Medicare will be focused on economics. Deciding how to get more money and how to spend it on Medicare are the two main disputes in Congress right now.
This has always been an issue ever since the implementation of Medicare over thirty years ago. But in the first few years of its existence, the Medicare budget was not as generous as it is today, obviously. For example, in 1967 only $4.2 billion was spent on Medicare. In 1993, $142.2 billion was used, more than 33 times more than twenty-six years ago. Therefore, the United States government has been quite efficient in finding ways to attain more and more money for Medicare. They havent had much of a choice though, especially within the past decade.
As mentioned earlier, if the government did not take any action in getting reforms for this program it wouldnt even be here today. This is a problem that will continue to haunt this country into the new millennium, especially with the growing support for a $200 billion a year budget for Medicare from congressmen. The support, however, is not great enough now. I dont find anything consistent with that [the support], said Rep. Haley Barbour said in an interview recently. It would never have passed Congress.
The Essay on Hospital Time Home Day
He always loved his gin in the morning, noon, and night; it came to him like water and it was impossible for him to leave home without it. No one could ever sway him from his essential life fluid. It wouldnt matter whether you cried, pleaded, or begged on your two knees, he would not stop. He only started to drink this much when he was 35 and I was about 9 at the time, no one could explain this ...
Nobody would have voted for it. Maybe not now, but it could and may have to happen eventually. (Guzman) Deciding whether or not to allow more money to be funneled into this health care system is just one economic predicament. Figuring out the most effective way to spend the money is another. In 1967, a whopping 63% of the $4.2 billion was spent on hospital inpatients. Physicians received 29% of the funds while nursing facilities only got 6%. Home health care and hospital outpatients took in a meager 1% apiece. But as the times changed, so did the distribution. In 1993, hospital inpatients attained just over half of the $142.2 billion, 53%. This considerable reduction resulted from attempting to minimize hospitalization time and trying to emphasize the effectiveness of services performed on patients at home. The amount given to physicians remained somewhat constant at 27%, as did the nursing facilities at 4%.
The biggest change dealt with money outside the hospital. Home health care rose to 7%, and 9% was allotted to hospital outpatients. Will this more even of a distribution trend continue? Only time can tell us for now. Deciding how funds will be dealt to each area is only a minor concern compared to agreeing on the amount of funds itself. (Guzman)
Bibliography:
Congressional Quarterly Weekly Report, 6/10/95, Vol. 53 Issue 23, p. 1615.
Will Finley. The Great Democratic Cone Game. World & I, Jul96, Vol. 11 Issue 7, p. 120. Yan Guzman.
Great Societys Medicare. New Statesman, issue April 2001..
