Intricacies of medicine.
The American Medical Association’s (AMA) role in Medicare.
Ronald Reagan and Medicare.
Many may be surprised to know that the AMA was vehemently opposed the Democratic idea of the late 1950’s-early ‘60’s of providing a universal medical health insurance for the elderly in the form of Medicare.
During that time, one of the methods employed by the AMA was known as Operation Coffee Cup. Operation Coffee Cup was a get together of doctor’s wives where friends, guests and acquaintances would hear arguments opposing Medicare and then write letters to Congress with their concerns and opposition. During these get togethers, a record would be played listing reasons against the Medicare proposals. The recording was made by none other than Ronald Reagan who in 1961, recorded “Ronald Reagan Speaks Out Against Socialized Medicine” on behalf of the AMA and in which he listed the reasons and arguments for opposing what he termed “socialized medicine” referring to Medicare.
And so it is strange bedfellows that Ronald Reagan, who would later become President of the United States, a champion of the elderly and everything American, would not only be against Medicare, but also consider Medicare to be socialism.
This again reminds me of and brings up the beliefs of some like Rudy Giuliani who again during the 2008 Presidential Primaries opposed Universal healthcare comparing it to socialism.