There have been many attempts by to move towards a universal health care policy in the United States. However, none of the attempts have left this country with national health insurance. Instead, health care is constantly being “reformed.” Proposals for health care reform have come from everyone from politicians to the American Medical Association, a notorious enemy of universal health insurance. Most of the plans that have been brought before Congress in the last ten years have fallen into one of three categories. Each of these three types; market oriented, single player, and play or pay; was slightly varied with each different proposal but contained the same basic characteristics. The first option for expanding health care coverage in the U. S. was incremental market based reforms. This type of reform was well liked by private insurance companies because its intent was to promote, but not guarantee, coverage by the insurance company. Former president George Bush used this option in his attempts at health care reform. His proposals were well supported by conservatives, moderates, and insurance companies because he believed that we have the best health care system in the world and it should not be screwed with. Businesses would select form a pool of health care providers. This drives down the cost of health care because the providers would have to compete with one another for business. This plan would not have provided the U. S. and all its citizens with health insurance. Instead the belief was that by driving down the cost, more people would be able to afford insurance.The second option for health care reform was the single payer style program. This program called for a universal health care system under which all citizens would be guaranteed coverage. The name single payer comes from the fact that the money for the health insurance would come from one entity, be it the federal or state government or payroll or general ta...
