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The United States Public Health Service traces its origins back to a 1798 “act for the relief of sick and disabled seamen.” The young American republic was dependent upon the sea for both defense and commercial purposes. When American merchant ships docked in the country’s ports, questions arose as to how to provide health care for sick or injured seamen and who would pay for this care. Utilizing a model developed by its former mother country, Great Britain, the new nation created a system to provide care to merchant seamen. John Adams signed an act of Congress on July 16, 1798 which established a Marine Hospital Fund to be administered by the Treasury Department. Twenty cents a month was deducted from the pay of each seaman to fund a system of hospitals in major port cities to treat sick and injured seamen. One can think of this arrangement as the first health insurance scheme and the first HMO in America. In 1799, seamen of the Treasury Department’s Revenue Marine Division (forerunner of the Coast Guard) were also included in this program. Officers and men of the Navy were also eligible for care in the marine hospitals from 1799 until 1817, when the Navy began construction of its own hospitals
It appears to me that this was more a government program similar to Social Security for the disabled Seamen rather than a whole health care system for seamen. It was only utuilized when seamen became sick or injured BECAUSEof their job. It wasn't meant as a health care program when they were ashore or if they became hurt or disabled on land because they may have had an unrealted job accident on land.
So to say this was a whole health care system for seamen is at best a stretch because it is merely an early workers' compensation program.
Nice try by the people who are trying to put this over as a comprehensive early health care system but it is really a disingenuouos attempt to mold a early workers' compensation program into a early comprehensive health care system...
So sorry all you champions of socialized medicine, this was not a whole health care plan paid fully by the government but more a early workers' compensation program administered by the government since there were no private health care plans for workers compensation and was limited to people who solely worked at sea..
That the officers, non-commissioned officers, musicians and privates raised by virtue of this act, shall take and ]Troops to take [subscribe the oath or affirmation prescribed by the law, intituled "An act]an oath; and how they shall to ascertain and fix the military establishment of the United States," and the governed. they shall be governed by the rules and articles of war, which have been or may be established by lam, and shall be entitled to the legal emoluments in case of wounds or disabilities received while in actual service, and in the line of duty.
but no other allowance or compensation shall be made to the said directors, except the payment of such expenses as they may incur in the actual discharge of the duties required by this act. APPROVED July 16, 1795.
It appears to me that this was more a government program similar to Social Security for the disabled for Seamen rather than a whole health care system for seamen. It was only utuilized when seamen became sick or injured BECAUSEof their job. It wasn't meant as a health care program when they were ashore or if they became hurt or disabled on land because they may have had an unrealted job accident on land...
A democratic republic Government itself is rooted in socialism. But you skipped my question, again. Why should others be covering up for a person? Why don't conservatives profess for individual responsibility to cover it all? You break it, you pay for it... don't look for social assistance, much less be a part of it.
Yes. Why not? BTW, flying an airplane also requires licensing. So, stick with walking. Is it a privilege? Or a right?
The underlined portion means nothing. Socialism is a form of government, as is Communism, as is monarchy. Your assertion is circular.
How is voluntary participation in commercial insurance 'social assistance'? The only people who pay your claims are the insurance company and its investors.
Yes. Why not? BTW, flying an airplane also requires licensing. So, stick with walking. Is it a privilege? Or a right?
It is neither. It is locomotion.
If we extend your already absurd logic, we may license breathing as doing so irresponsibly can make someone near you catch cold. People have decided, via democratic action, that there is a compelling public interest in requiring competency and law abidance among drivers. If you can convince enough legislators in your state that there is a compelling interest in licensing pedestrians then your state will license them. (And dollars to donuts the state does that will be dominated by liberals.)
The underlined portion means nothing. Socialism is a form of government, as is Communism, as is monarchy. Your assertion is circular.
How is voluntary participation in commercial insurance 'social assistance'? The only people who pay your claims are the insurance company and its investors.
Democratic republic is a form of government. I was quite specific about mentioning that. People are represented though a body called the government. Public ownership is via that body.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Cavaturaccioli
It is neither. It is locomotion.
I was speaking in terms of rights versus privileges. Is "locomotion" the third dimension to the other two? Or, just another word for it? If walking is locomotion, what is driving?
Quote:
If we extend your already absurd logic, we may license breathing as doing so irresponsibly can make someone near you catch cold.
Give a break to your idea of absurdity when it is you who has this idea of rights versus privileges versus "neither".
I wonder if Fox News will do a segment on the Founding Fathers supporting socialized medicine?
They may well do it to show how this act was merely an early workers compensation law and NOT a whole health care system since it only covered sickenss and accidents on the job, and not when they weren't at sea or on the job. It was a job related compensation law only.
They weren't mandated to buy anything. They had a tax taken out of their pay to cover their injuries and illnesses incurred on the job. They didn't have to BUY anything.
I think it's a little silly to assume that the Founders were perfect. They did plenty of things that wouldn't stand up before the Supreme Court today, (Like owning slaves, for example.) So even precedents can be set aside.
These few dozen great men wrote perhaps the most perfect document ever written.
300 MILLION PEOPLE are protected by it.
As far as being slave owners, it was perfectly legal and accepted during that time period.
You missed the point it was a workers compensation program for injuries and sickness derived from working at sea. It is right in the very last line of the law. I showed it to you in the post. Look it up for yourself. It is not a whole health care system so to try and make into one is ridiculous.
We have mandated workers compensation programs today yet they are adminstered by states. Since the Maritime occupation was under Federal authority it is governed by Federal authority. So try to keep up here and understand this was NOT a whole health care system for men who worked at sea, it was a program to compensate them for injury and sickness that were solely job related. Thanks
You missed the point it was a workers compensation program for injuries and sickness derived from working at sea. It is right in the very last line of the law. I showed it to you in the post. Look it up for yourself. It is not a whole health care system so to try and make into one is ridiculous.
We have mandated workers compensation programs today yet they are adminstered by states. Since the Maritime occupation was under Federal authority it is governed by Federal authority. So try to keep up here and understand this was NOT a whole health care system for men who worked at sea, it was a program to compensate them for injury and sickness that were solely job related. Thanks
Couldn't rep you. What you have said here is straight forward and easy to understand. Too bad others seem to be challenged by this.
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