Health Care System and Policies Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Health Care System and Policies - Research Paper Example Below are significant highlights of healthcare policies in America that are sequenced in a timeline: a. 1798 – Legislatures passed the act for the establishment of federal network of hospitals to serve the sick and disabled seaman or merchant seaman. This is considered as the foundation of the current US Public Health Service (US National Library of Medicine, 2012); b. 1862 – Former President Abraham Lincoln appointed Charles M. Wetherill, a chemist, to head the Department of Agriculture and established the Bureau of Chemistry which became the foundation of Food and Drug Administration (FDA) (US National Library of Medicine, 2012); c. 1871 - US government created the office of Surgeon General (formerly known as Supervising Surgeon) for the Marine Hospital Service (US National Library of Medicine, 2012); d. 1878 – Legislator passed the National Quarantine Act to focus on quarantine functions (US National Library of Medicine, 2012); e. 1887- The federal government established and opened a one-room laboratory at Staten Island tasked to conduct extensive study on diseases and inspired the creation of National Institute of Health (US National Library of Medicine, 2012); f. ... 1906 – The Pure Food and Drugs Act was legislated to regulate the safety of medicines made and sold by pharmaceutical industry (US National Library of Medicine, 2012); i. 1912 – Former President Theodore Roosevelt wanted the establishment of Children’s Bureau to deal with issues on child exploitation (US National Library of Medicine, 2012); j. 1921 – The federal government created the Bureau of India Affairs Health Division which became the foundation in the creation of Indian Health Service (US National Library of Medicine, 2012); k. 1930 - The government institutionalized the National Institutes of Health as an independent office from Public Health Service’s Hygienic Laboratory (US National Library of Medicine, 2012); l. 1935 – Legislators passed the Social Security Act (US National Library of Medicine, 2012); m. 1938 – The Federal Food Drug and Cosmetic law was legislated (US National Library of Medicine, 2012); n. 1939 - Federal pr ogram and activities on health, education and health insurance were consolidated when Federal Security Agency was established (US National Library of Medicine, 2012); o. 1946 - The government institutionalized the Communicable Disease Center which became responsible on the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (US National Library of Medicine, 2012); p. 1953 – Under the administration of former President Eisenshower, the Department of Health, Education and Welfare was established in 1953. Anent to its operational specialization, the Department of Education Organization Act was legislated to make the office totally independent. DHEW was renamed as Department of Health and Human Services officially in May 4, 1980 (US