# History of efforts to expand health coverage and healthcare consumer protections in the US

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/history-of-efforts-to-expand-health-coverage-and-healthcare-consumer-protections-in-the-us/707131>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [December 13, 2014, 4:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/history-of-efforts-to-expand-health-coverage-and-healthcare-consumer-protections-in-the-us/707131 "2014-12-13T16:11:42Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Wesley\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wesley_clark/32/20581_2.png) [@Wesley\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wesley_Clark)\
**Post date:** [December 13, 2014, 4:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/history-of-efforts-to-expand-health-coverage-and-healthcare-consumer-protections-in-the-us/707131/1 "2014-12-13T16:11:42Z")

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On the federal level what is the history of laws passed to expand coverage and expand consumer protections?

The PPACA was the latest which may have increased insurance to 10 million people so far (supposedly closer to 20 by the end of the decade) but Obama also passed and extension of SCHIP early in his tenure which I believe added about 4 million kids to health insurance.

Bush jr. passed medicare D

Clinton passed the original SCHIP. He tried to do a UHC plan but failed.

Reagan did COBRA.

Johnson passed medicare & medicaid.

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**Author:** ![BrightNShiny](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7bcc69/32.png) [@BrightNShiny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrightNShiny)\
**Post date:** [December 15, 2014, 7:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/history-of-efforts-to-expand-health-coverage-and-healthcare-consumer-protections-in-the-us/707131/2 "2014-12-15T07:46:32Z")

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Here’s a list of some stuff from HHS:

> **[HHS Historical Highlights](https://www.hhs.gov/about/historical-highlights/index.html)**
>
> HHS historical highlights include a list of major events in HHS history and a list of the Secretaries of HHS/HEW.

I don’t see EMTALA (1986) on there, but that was passed as part of COBRA, which you already listed (and I don’t see COBRA in the HHS list either):

> **[Emergency Medical Treatment and Active Labor Act](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emergency_Medical_Treatment_and_Active_Labor_Act)**
>
> The Emergency Medical Treatment and Active Labor Act (EMTALA) is an act of the United States Congress, passed in 1986 as part of the Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act (COBRA). It requires hospital emergency departments that accept payments from Medicare to provide an appropriate medical screening examination (MSE) to anyone seeking treatment for a medical condition, regardless of citizenship, legal status, or ability to pay. Participating hospitals may not transfer or discharge pa EM...

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**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\
**Post date:** [December 15, 2014, 5:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/history-of-efforts-to-expand-health-coverage-and-healthcare-consumer-protections-in-the-us/707131/3 "2014-12-15T17:32:19Z")

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You might find this [policy brief](http://kaiserfamilyfoundation.files.wordpress.com/2013/01/7871.pdf) (PDF warning) of interest. It’s by the Kaiser Family Foundation and is about health care reform efforts over the past century.