January 2003 - Division of Medical Sciences Bulletin - Harvard ...
January 2003 - Division of Medical Sciences Bulletin - Harvard ...
January 2003 - Division of Medical Sciences Bulletin - Harvard ...
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The <strong>Harvard</strong> University BBS website: <strong>January</strong> <strong>Bulletin</strong><br />
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Volume VII, Number 1 - <strong>January</strong> <strong>2003</strong><br />
42 Million and Counting - Michael Dukakis<br />
Speaks on Universal Health Care<br />
By Peggy Stolt<br />
"The singular inability <strong>of</strong> this great country <strong>of</strong> ours to provide<br />
health care to all people is an embarrassment!" declared<br />
Michael Dukakis during a very animated presentation on universal<br />
health care given this fall. The current state <strong>of</strong> health care in the U.<br />
S. is bordering on disaster. As Dukakis cited, health care costs are<br />
currently increasing at 10-15% annually. While the U.S. spends<br />
twice as much per capita on health care than any other country, we<br />
have poorer health outcomes. Emergency rooms now serve as<br />
primary care facilities for those with no insurance. However, the<br />
topic <strong>of</strong> universal health care has been virtually unaddressed since<br />
the ill-fated Clinton plan in 1999. Although Dukakis presented no<br />
magic solution for this crisis, it was a pleasant surprise to hear<br />
someone speak with such sincerity on a topic to which more<br />
politicians should be paying attention.<br />
Dukakis' interest in health care began at an early age, as he<br />
observed his father, an HMS graduate, at work in his clinic. Dukakis<br />
himself had no medical aspirations, and instead attended <strong>Harvard</strong><br />
Law School and launched a political career. Dukakis is <strong>of</strong> course<br />
best known as a former governor <strong>of</strong> Massachusetts, serving<br />
from1974 to 1978 and 1982 to 1990, and as the 1988 democratic<br />
candidate for president. While governor <strong>of</strong> Massachusetts he was<br />
able to sign a bill for universal state health care, although full<br />
implementation <strong>of</strong> this bill was inhibited by subsequent<br />
administrations.<br />
Dukakis began his talk by tracing the history <strong>of</strong> efforts towards<br />
universal health care coverage in the U.S., from Truman's attempts<br />
file:///C|/Documents%20and%20Settings/JJL21/Desktop/bulletin/<strong>2003</strong>/Webonly<strong>January</strong><strong>2003</strong>/dukakis.html (1 <strong>of</strong> 3)11/13/2006 10:28:43 AM
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