John Adams signed health care mandate 1798

[medeak]

http://killfile.newsvine.com/_news/2010/03/25/4067338-fun-fact-president-john-adams-signed-a-health-insurance-mandate-into-law-in-1798

[dflprincess]

1. Nice catch! (nt)

[Nikki Stone1]

2. He also signed the Alien and Sedition Acts

They were a bad idea too.


The OP refers to a law that only applied to privately employed sailors.

[dflprincess]

3. Even though it only applied to sailors it was "a first step"

(as we hear so often) :puke: Sad that more than 200 years later we're still waiting for the 2nd step.

If nothing else, it would be fun to post this on one of the goofy Teabagger Facebook threads where they're ranting about returning to the "values of the Founding Fathers". The idea that John Adams thought people, even a limited group, should have access to care and thought it was okay to levy a tax for it, might cause some heads to explode.

[Nikki Stone1]

4. Nonsense. It was one idea, probably pushed by shipping companies in the days of scurvy

Private sailors were powerless, prone to illness, and the shipping company didn't want the loss of their labor or the expense of caring for their illnesses. Applying this to the nation as a whole would have been unthinkable at the time.

[dflprincess]

5. I know that & you know that

but I doubt if the teabaggers would figure it out. According to them the founders are all turning in their graves at the thought of the government helping anyone have healthcare - telling them that Adams thought differently (whatever his reasons may have been) would be more than their little brains could deal with.

If they can't figure out that this insurance bill isn't socialism (and yes, many of them think it is) they'll never examine Adams' motives.

[Nikki Stone1]

6. Well good luck with that

The argument is a little too sublime, I think. But give it a shot. Raise the blood pressure a bit. :)

[dflprincess]

8. Oh I won't do it - you have to actually join one of the Facebook groups

to post on their threads and I will not associate myself with them even for the purpose of trying to drive them over the edge completely. I was just enjoying the idea of all the exploding heads - which, I suppose is twisted. :hi:

[medeak]

14. maritime history in post down below...fascinating

history is!

[angrycarpenter]

7. already done, I put it all over FB polls just now. NT

[dflprincess]

10. Any reaction?

[Historic NY]

9. Marine Hosptial Service....forerunner of the Public Health Service...

well that now explains why they wear naval uniforms.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marine_Hospital_Service

[ashling]

11. LTTE I wrote last year on this

I hate to sound petty, but I have been ringing this bell for some time. Here is part of a letter I got in the paper last year on this and other myths:

Myths, Mis-directions, and Lies
It is really difficult to keep up with all of the myths, misdirections, and outright lies from the right on healthcare reform. Where to begin?
1. Myth: “The founders never intended for the government. to be involved in healthcare”

Reality: The Congress first got involved in healthcare when employers of merchant seamen were TAXED to create the Marine Hospital Service in 1798 by: THE FOUNDERS!


I have pretty comprehensive list I compiled of health related legislation.

[Historic NY]

12. Its those darn Liberal founders again. Sorta spoils those teabaggers ideas.

[medeak]

13. part of article is true

from legal eagle guy:

"Anyway, this author is only part right.

The Act of July 16 1798, Chapter 77, section 2, only allowed the U.S.
Navy to deduct 20 cents per month from every USN sailor to pay into the
fund established for a system of marine hospitals created for their
purpose. (Attached PDF, page 1).

It wasn't until the next year that the law was amended by the Act of
March 2 1799, Chapter 24, section 3, that federal statutes required
masters of craft going down the Mississippi River to New Orleans to pay
20 cents per month for every employee to the fund for the benefit for
each seaman, and for the amount to be deducted out of the seaman's
wages. Additionally, section 5 permitted collection for the master of
foreign vessels 75 cents per day for a seaman admitted to a marine
hospital. The prescribed penalty was $50 per head; quite a sum back in
those days, but corruption among the port collectors was pretty
widespread, too. (PDF page 7 and 8).

There were a series of revelations in the early 1790s, in particular,
that sea commerce and naval defense was going to be severely impacted if
able seaman kept getting sick and being buried at sea. The new
republic's economy depended on imports and exports being shipped through
our ports as cheaply as possible, and this was just not happening when
using foreign merchant fleets. So we needed our own fleet, and we
needed contract able-bodied seaman to stay health enough to sail the
Seven Seas. Plus, we were terrified that both domestic and foreign
sailors were bringing all sorts of nasty contageous diseases to the
civilian population that killed off virtually whole communities in a
single season, too. So a system of marine hospitals uniquely fit the
bill. But most of the operations of these hospitals was funded through
directed appropriations from revenues obtained through certain customs
tariffs, flag registrations, and import taxes.

But, in the end, this was still quite an accomplishment.

Isn't history fun?"

[Toasterlad]

15. Free Leeches For All!