Throughline Health Insurance in America
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Feb 27, 2025 
Join Paul Starr, a Princeton sociology professor with expertise in American healthcare's history, and Jim Marone, a political science professor at Brown University, as they unravel America's complex health insurance saga. They discuss how the shift from universal coverage to employer-based insurance created a system that often leaves many vulnerable. The conversation touches on President Truman's push for universal health insurance, the impact of World War II on healthcare access, and how political resistance shaped today's health landscape.
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Early Hospitals
- In the mid-1800s, hospitals were seen as places where poor people went to die.
- Treatments included mercury and bloodletting; health insurance didn't exist.
Industrial Workers and Sickness Funds
- Industrial workers became cogs in a wheel, unlike farmers who could rely on family if sick or injured.
- Sickness funds emerged as a potential solution, offering financial support to injured workers.
The Birth of Blue Cross
- Hospitals faced financial challenges as patients couldn't afford rising treatment costs.
- Blue Cross emerged, offering prepaid hospital care plans, initially targeting employer groups like teachers.