Dr. Tom: A Brief History of the U.S. Government and Healthcare, Part II …
While everyone would agree that the passage of Medicare in 1965 was a landmark event in not only American healthcare but also American politics,...
Dr. Tom: Globalism vs. Nationalism …
The visit to Idyllwild by seven Rotarians from South Africa and Botswana last week was a great experience for all. Imagine hearing lions in...
Dr. Tom: Healthcare update…
Imagine developing a serious illness, seeking medical care, presenting your Medicare card and receiving it without denials or appeals or copays or deductibles. When...
Dr. Tom: The fate of our healthcare dollars, now and in the future …
Medical care in the U.S. is so much more expensive than every other country. How can we fix that? A dollar in U.S. medical...
Dr. Tom: Pedal away…
I have learned a lot about electric bicycles lately since I have been wrestling with my insurance company, trying to convince them that my...
Dr. Tom: A reluctant response…
I have strong beliefs, as many of you do. My goal in writing this column was to encourage cogitation, not create controversy, but, of...
Dr. Tom: Poverty …
I’ve got a really strange idea and here is how it happened. I read a news report about Ben Carson, our secretary of Housing...
Dr. Tom: Character and beliefs …
Two interesting things happened last week — besides the other really interesting thing that I’m not going to talk about (much) — both of...
Dr. Tom: A Brief History of the U.S. Government and Healthcare, Part I …
You will probably be surprised to learn that the first U.S. president to propose any form of government-sponsored healthcare was a Republican. OK, technically a former Republican.
Teddy Roosevelt served as our 26th president from 1901 to 1909, after which his hand-picked successor, William Howard Taft, was elected. Returning from a safari and European tour, Roosevelt found himself unimpressed with Taft’s performance and sought the Republican nomination in 1912. Rebuffed, he founded the Progressive Party, which included in its platform the provision of limited health insurance to low-wage earners. (Sorry, I know this is upsetting to modern Republicans, but it is true; look it up. You can take some solace in the Progressive Party’s alias: The Bull Moose Party).
Dr. Tom: How did you answer? …
By Thomas R. Kluzak, M.D.
So, how did you answer the question, “Should everyone in the United States be entitled to health care?”
Sorry, that was...