Question

1. What has been the historic role of the American Medical Association in the passage of health insurance legislation?

2. What was the role of the AMA during the Great Depression as it relates to enacting national health insurance?

Answer 1

1. The American Medical Association group spoke on variety of health issues during 1920-1930's. Reformers and legislotors worked to pass law guaranteeing workers old age pension and reimbursment in case of injury. Many regormers were intersted in passing legislation that wolud give mandatoryhealth insurance coverage thus ensuring them of medical treatment. The AMA registered its opinion in 1920 on compulsary health insurance.

2. By 1933, Great depression has exacerbatedalready existing problems in the nations medical care. Huge number of unemployed could not afford medical bills and there was no national policy for dealing with this crisis. The AMA worked with the Roosevelt administration in drawing up some legislation that effected health care where the AMA approved the administration to pay half of the medical care for federal employees.