The Lost Reform: The Campaign for Compulsory Health Insurance in the United States from 1932 to 1943 (Commonwealth Fund Publications)

One of the more important American reform movements during the thirties and one that was supported by members of the New Deal coalition was the futile struggle to enact federal legislation for compulsory health insurance. In this comprehensive historical account of the movement, the author outlines its strategy and tactics and traces the crucial episodes in its struggle. Daniel Hirshfield concludes that the nature of the movement, including its timing, tactics, leadership, and opponents, caused its failure—a failure which contrasts markedly with the success of other equally sweeping reforms. CONTENTS PREFACE Introduction 1. Background Developments 1900–1932 2. Washington: The First Battle 1933–1935 3. Voices from the Hinterland 1932–1943 4. Washington: The Battle Renewed 1936–1939 5. Old Endings and New Beginnings 1939–1943 APPENDIXES BIBLIOGRAPHY NOTES INDEX APPENDIX A. Chronology APPENDIX В. Policy Positions BIBLIOGRAPHY NOTES INDEX [by] Daniel S. Hirshfield. A Commonwealth Fund Book. Bibliography: P. 183-192.