With the debate over health care consuming the nation, this timely book looks at the evolution of healthcare policy in the United States throughout its history.

Concise, authoritative, and unbiased, The Healthcare Debate provides meaningful context for thinking about one of the most controversial public policy issues the United States faces. It traces the evolution of the argument over the government’s role in healthcare financing and delivery since the early 1800s, with an emphasis on the major reform efforts since the mid-20th century.

Following the complex dynamics of public health policy across U.S. history, The Healthcare Debate brings together a wide range of voices on the subject-presidents, policymakers, reformers, lobbyists, and everyday citizens. Each of its eight chronologically organized chapters focuses on the battle over government involvement in healthcare in a specific era, drawing on historic documents and the latest retrospective research. With President Obama making healthcare reform his top domestic priority in his first year in office, this remarkable new book could not be more timely.

Includes a timeline of significant developments in the history of health care in the United States

Tables and figures illustrate cross-time trends in expenditures, media coverage, and public opinion