In a joint session to Congress, President Obama (2009) says: "we must also address the crushing cost of health care. This is a cost that now causes a bankruptcy in America every thirty seconds. By the end of the year, it could cause 1.5 million Americans to lose their homes. In the last eight years, premiums have grown four times faster than wages. And in each of these years, one million more Americans have lost their health insurance. So, let there be no doubt: Health care reform cannot wait, it must not wait, and it will not wait another year."
Federal Legislation addressing health care was first developed in 1921, to address maternal and infant health with public education by public health workers (Segal, 2013). This lasted 8 years before this care was taken over by states and localities. Over 30 years later, in 1965, the first government insurance plans were created in the form of Medicaid, for those who are poor and unable to afford insurance and Medicare, for people who are elderly. Over the upcoming years, there was much debate about the government’s role in healthcare. Many private medical organizations and insurance groups were opposed to these as it was perceived as interference. In the early 1990s there was talk of a national health
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It makes health insurance more affordable and accessible, in the private healthcare arena as well as expanding Medicaid coverage. It requires coverage of important services to help people as they exit homelessness such as behavioral health and rehabilitative services. Finally, it makes the “whole person” the focus, and encourages the importance of outcomes for people, shifting away from a focus on procedures and volume. This helps encourage cooperation and partnerships between healthcare and other needs of those