Upon its enactment in July 1988, the Medicare Catastrophic Coverage Act (MCCA) was hailed as the first major expansion of government health care since the creation of Medicare in 1965. Supported by President Reagan, majorities in both houses of Congress, and the nation's largest senior-citizen interest group, the American Association of Retired Persons (AARP), the legislation effectively plugged many of the holes in the existing Medicare system by providing protection against some but not all catastrophic health care expenses. Additionally, the consensus behind the MCCA appeared to establish a precedent for expanding social insurance in an era of high federal deficits. However, less than eighteen months later, the House and the Senate, responding to a tidal wave of criticism, would vote to repeal virtually all of the legislation.Utilizing varied source materials, including interviews with policymakers and surveys of senior-citizen opinion gathered by the AARP, Richard Himelfarb undertakes a comprehensive analysis of how and why this unprecedented series of events transpired. In the process, he also examines the politics of federal entitlement programs in an era of high deficits and senior citizens' political influence, topics that are of particular interest in light of recent federal attempts to tackle health care reform.
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About the Author
Richard Himelfarb is Assistant Professor of Political Science at Hofstra University.
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3.0 out of 5 stars
quick read on a relevant topic,
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This review is from: Catastrophic Politics: The Rise and Fall of the Medicare Catastrophic Coverage Act of 1988 (Paperback)
himelfarb takes you through the drama of the MCCA. how could wildly popular and fairly comprehensive legislation be repealed just 18 months after passing? a cautionary tale for anyone trying to put their finger on the pulse of the people - with interesting corollaries to the "tea-party" response to the Affordable Care Act.revealed an important piece of political history that i wasn't before aware of - worth giving it a looksee.
5.0 out of 5 stars
Comprehensive Description of a tough moment in U.S. healthcare reform.,
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This review is from: Catastrophic Politics: The Rise and Fall of the Medicare Catastrophic Coverage Act of 1988 (Paperback)
The author summarizes the political and economic environment in which a major attempt to change Medicare took place, what the bill contained, how it was enacted and the negative reaction -- the more people learned about it, the less popular it became. The history of this bill strikes me as similar to what we are experiencing with the healthcare reform enacted in 2009.
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Key Phrases - Statistically Improbable Phrases (SIPs):
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supplemental premium, catastrophic care, redistributive implications Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
Social Security, National Committee, Catastrophic Politics, White House, Congressional Budget Office, New York Times, United States, Senior-Citizen Opinion After Passage, Washington Post, Schneiders Survey, Senator Bentsen, Representative Gradison, National Council of Senior Citizens, John Rother, President Reagan, Democratic Congress, Representative Stark, Wall Street, Capitol Hill, Pepper Commission, Senator Durenberger, House Democrats, Representative Pete Stark, State of the Union Address Browse Sample Pages:
Front Cover | Table of Contents | First Pages | Index | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
supplemental premium, catastrophic care, redistributive implications Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
Social Security, National Committee, Catastrophic Politics, White House, Congressional Budget Office, New York Times, United States, Senior-Citizen Opinion After Passage, Washington Post, Schneiders Survey, Senator Bentsen, Representative Gradison, National Council of Senior Citizens, John Rother, President Reagan, Democratic Congress, Representative Stark, Wall Street, Capitol Hill, Pepper Commission, Senator Durenberger, House Democrats, Representative Pete Stark, State of the Union Address Browse Sample Pages:
Front Cover | Table of Contents | First Pages | Index | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
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