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Ronald Reagan Speaks Out Against Socialized Medicine

Reagan admin — Mon, 14 Sep 2026 17:47:51 GMT

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	[[Category:Speeches]]		[[Category:Speeches]]
	During the late 1950s and early 1960s the American Medical Association ran a campaign against the Democratic plans to create a medical insurance program for ~~anyone~~ in the [[Social Security]] program. It was called [[wikipedia:Operation Coffee Cup\|Operation Coffee Cup]]. In 1961, one of their tools for getting information out to the people was this speech, distributed via [[wikipedia:LP_record\|LP]].		During the late 1950s and early 1960s the American Medical Association ran a campaign against the Democratic Party plans to create a medical insurance program for everyone in the [[Social Security]] program. It was called [[wikipedia:Operation Coffee Cup\|Operation Coffee Cup]]. In 1961, one of their tools for getting information out to the people was this speech, distributed via [[wikipedia:LP_record\|LP]].

	After purchasing and reviewing the materials, I learned that Reagan was not the only person to record audio. There is a second audio clip. Since the materials included text of both, it will be quite easy to provide an [[~~OperationCoffeeCup2ndTranscript~~\|additional transcript]].		After purchasing and reviewing the materials, I learned that Reagan was not the only person to record audio. There is a second audio clip. Since the materials included text of both, it will be quite easy to provide an [[Socialized_Medicine_and_You\|additional transcript]].

	Most of the content of the speech is very similar to that of the '[[Encroaching Control]]' speech, also from 1961.		Most of the content of the speech is very similar to that of the '[[Encroaching Control]]' speech, also from 1961.

OperationCoffeeCup2ndTranscript

Reagan admin — Mon, 14 Sep 2026 01:14:35 GMT

Reagan admin moved page OperationCoffeeCup2ndTranscript to Socialized Medicine and You Misspelled title

New page

== SOCIALIZED MEDICINE AND YOU ==

Mr. Reagan's concern is very real and all of us who are equally concerned should follow his advice. You may wonder just what sort of letter to write your congressman.

The answer is, almost any letter -- so long as it reflects your thinking, your convictions, your feelings...and so long as you use your own words, and put them in your own hand-writing.

Perhaps a little background on the subject of socialized medicine will prove helpful to you.

To begin with, socialized medicine simply means compulsory national health insurance; medicine controlled and administered by the Federal Government financed through compulsory taxation.

For many years an attempt has been made to socialize the practice of medicine through the Social Security tax mechanism. The American people and Congress have rejected overwhelmingly these attempts.

Last year Representative Forand attempted to establish, the principle of socialized medicine by applying it only to the elderly -- at first. He, and others like him, counted on the concern we all feel for those of the aged in need of help.

The Forand Bill failed. But this year, another congressman has stepped forward to lead the forces of socialized medicine -- Representative King of California. It is his measure -- H.R. 4222, or the King Bill, that now threatens the free practice of medicine.

The supporters of the King Bill contend that most of the aged are in poor health and that most of the aged are. financially unable to pay for their own medical care.

The fact is that most of the aged are in reasonably good health. And most are in reasonably good shape financially. Surveys prove both points.

However, I'm sure that we all recognize that -- some of our older people are in poor health; and some can't afford to pay for the health care they need.

That's why the doctors of America strongly supported the legislation passed during the last congress -- the so-called Kerr-Mills Law. They felt -- and have always felt -- that people who need medical help should get it, but that tax dollars should not be used to pay the medical and hospital bills of those who are perfectly able to pay their own.

Physicians favored the Kerr-Mills Law because it would help those of the elderly who need help, help them quickly and effectively, and do so without wasting either the taxpayers money, or destroying the basic American freedoms involved in our system of medical practice.

The Kerr-Mills Law is now being put into effect. It permits the individual states to guarantee to every American over 65 who needs help, the health care he requires. It benefits all older persons unable to meet the cost of a serious or chronic illness. It specifically allows the individual states to run their own programs - it provides for local administration and local determination of need and is financed from both the federal and state general tax funds.

Without even giving this program a chance to prove what can do, the King Bill, H.R. 4222, was introduced. Here's how
it would work:
The Federal Government would buy a limited amount of hospitalization, nursing home care, home health services, and outpatient hospital diagnostic services for all eligible to receive Social Security retirement payments regardless of their financial means. The number of days the beneficiary could receive these services is limited. And, the patient would be required to pay $10.00 a day for the first nine days spent in a hospital; and $20.00 for each complete diagnostic study made.

Physicians' services in the fields of radiology, pathology, physiatry, and anesthesiology would be included, plus the services of interns and residents and those serving the out- patient clinics. There is little doubt but what the program would soon be expanded to include all physician services as well as to cover the entire population -- thus completely socializing medicine in the United States.

The Federal Government would set up the rules and regulations under which the program would operate. And everyone who pays Social Security taxes would help pay the bill -- because taxes would be raised beyond the nine per cent of taxable payroll already scheduled in the years ahead.

I am sure many of you are wondering why there is any objection to using the Social Security System to finance medical care for the aged.

Well, first of all, it is a misnomer to think of Social Security as being insurance.

In the Nestor vs. Flemming case heard before the Supreme Court in 1959 the Department of Justice in its brief said:
"The OASI program is in no sense a federally administered insurance program under which each worker pays premiums over the years and acquires at retirement an indefeasible right to receive...a fixed monthly benefit...The contributions exacted are a tax."

Many people also have the mistaken impression that Social Security benefits are paid out of accumulated reserves similar to private insurance programs, when in truth the program is financed almost entirely on a pay-as-you-go basis with the benefits paid out of current income. Pay-as-you-go means that the government raises through current taxes just enough money to pay the cost of the benefits currently due. No one prepays his own benefits. Today's taxpayers pay for
today's beneficiaries.

The acceptance of the King Bill would actually mean that our children and grandchildren will be asked to pay ever increasing Social Security taxes to finance the medical care needs of the previous generations.
With growing families, young people have enough difficulty trying to make ends meet without assuming the additional obligation of paying higher taxes to pay for the medical care needs of all over 65, many of whom are in better financial shape than those paying the tax.

This is the choice we are faced with. On the one hand, we can help those who need help, while preserving the right of the self-reliant to finance their own care or we can legislate a compulsory national health scheme for the aged -- regardless of whether they need it or not.

To put this choice in even sharper focus, Americans are being asked to choose between a system of medicine practiced in freedom; and a system of socialized medicine for the elderly which will be expanded into socialized medicine for every man, woman, and child in the United States.

Your letter will help determine the outcome of this struggle. Remember what Ronald Reagan said:
"Write those letters now; call your friends and tell them to write them. If you don't, this program, I promise you, will pass just as surely as the sun will come up tomorrow. And behind it will come other Federal programs that will invade
every area of freedom as we have known it in this country. Until one day, as Norman Thomas said, we will awake to find that we have socialism. And if you don't do this and if I don't do it, one of these days you and I are going to spend our sunset years telling our children and our children's children what it once was like in America when men were free."

OperationCoffeeCup2ndTranscript

Reagan admin — Mon, 14 Sep 2026 01:10:11 GMT

Created page with "== SOCIALIZED MEDICINE AND YOU == Mr. Reagan's concern is very real and all of us who are equally concerned should follow his advice. You may wonder just what sort of letter to write your congressman. The answer is, almost any letter -- so long as it reflects your thinking, your convictions, your feelings...and so long as you use your own words, and put them in your own hand-writing. Perhaps a little background on the subject of socialized medicine will prove helpful..."

New page

Main Page

Reagan admin — Fri, 11 Sep 2026 15:46:59 GMT

← Older revision		Revision as of 15:46, 11 September 2026
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	Speeches Currently Available:		Speeches Currently Available:
	* 1957 [[Eureka College Commencement]] speech		<UL>
	* 1959 [[Business, Ballots and Bureaus]]		<LI>1957 [[Eureka College Commencement]] speech
	* 1961 [[Ronald Reagan Speaks Out Against Socialized Medicine]]		<LI>1959 [[Business, Ballots and Bureaus]]
	* 1961 [[A Foot in the Door]]		<LI>1961 [[Ronald Reagan Speaks Out Against Socialized Medicine]]
	* 1961 [[Losing Freedom by Installments]]		<LI>1961 [[A Foot in the Door]]
	* 1961 [[Encroaching Control]]		<LI>1961 [[Losing Freedom by Installments]]
	** ([[Encroaching Control-Prepared Version\|Press Prepared Edition]])		<LI>1961 [[Encroaching Control]]
	* 1964 [[A Time For Choosing]]		<UL>
	** ([[A Time For Choosing-Prepared Version\|Press Prepared Edition]])		<LI>[[Encroaching Control-Prepared Version\|Press Prepared Edition]]
	** ([[Rendezvous with Destiny LP]])		</UL>
	* 1965 [[Unnamed Robert Ashbrook Dinner Speech]]		<LI>1964 [[A Time For Choosing]]
	* 1966 [[The Myth of the Great Society]]		<UL>
	* 1974 [[A City Upon a Hill]] Given at the first CPAC		<LI>[[A Time For Choosing-Prepared Version\|Press Prepared Edition]]
	** ([[A City Upon a Hill-Prepared Version\|Press Prepared Edition]])		<LI>[[Rendezvous with Destiny LP]]
	* 1975-1979 [[Reagan Radio Commentaries]]		</UL>
			<LI>1965 [[Unnamed Robert Ashbrook Dinner Speech]]
	* [[Carson1975\|Ronald Reagan appears on Johnny Carson 1975]]		<LI>1966 [[The Myth of the Great Society]]
			<LI>1974 [[A City Upon a Hill]] Given at the first CPAC
			<UL>
			<LI>[[A City Upon a Hill-Prepared Version\|Press Prepared Edition]]
			</UL>
			<LI>1975-1979 [[Reagan Radio Commentaries]]
			</UL>
			<UL>
			<LI>[[Carson1975\|Ronald Reagan appears on Johnny Carson 1975]]
			</UL>
	</TD><TD WIDTH="35%">		</TD><TD WIDTH="35%">
	Information about related Books:		Information about related Books:

Ronald Reagan Speaks Out Against Socialized Medicine

Reagan admin — Fri, 11 Sep 2026 15:44:42 GMT

← Older revision		Revision as of 15:44, 11 September 2026
(One intermediate revision by the same user not shown)
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	During the late 1950s and early 1960s the American Medical Association ran a campaign against the Democratic plans to create a medical insurance program for anyone in the [[Social Security]] program. It was called [[wikipedia:Operation Coffee Cup\|Operation Coffee Cup]]. In 1961, one of their tools for getting information out to the people was this speech, distributed via [[wikipedia:LP_record\|LP]].		During the late 1950s and early 1960s the American Medical Association ran a campaign against the Democratic plans to create a medical insurance program for anyone in the [[Social Security]] program. It was called [[wikipedia:Operation Coffee Cup\|Operation Coffee Cup]]. In 1961, one of their tools for getting information out to the people was this speech, distributed via [[wikipedia:LP_record\|LP]].

	After purchasing and reviewing the materials, I learned that Reagan was not the only person to record audio. There is a second audio clip. ~~I'll work on getting a transcription~~ of it.		After purchasing and reviewing the materials, I learned that Reagan was not the only person to record audio. There is a second audio clip. Since the materials included text of both, it will be quite easy to provide an [[OperationCoffeeCup2ndTranscript\|additional transcript]].

	Most of the content of the speech is very similar to that of the '[[Encroaching Control]]' speech, also from 1961.		Most of the content of the speech is very similar to that of the '[[Encroaching Control]]' speech, also from 1961.
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	[[Media:AMA House Senate.pdf\|List of current Representatives and Senators]]		[[Media:AMA House Senate.pdf\|List of current Representatives and Senators]]

			[[Media:Medical_Legislative_Conference_AMA_1961.pdf\|Report from the Medical Legislative Conference of the AMA, 1961]]

	== Full Speech Text ==		== Full Speech Text ==

File:Medical Legislative Conference AMA 1961.pdf

Reagan admin — Tue, 08 Sep 2026 17:13:52 GMT

Reagan admin uploaded File:Medical Legislative Conference AMA 1961.pdf A Report from the Medical Legislative Conference of the American Medical Association from 1961 in which the King Bill (discussed in Reagan Speaks Out Against Socialized Medicine) is mentioned heavily.

New page

== Summary ==
A Report from the Medical Legislative Conference of the American Medical Association from 1961 in which the King Bill (discussed in Reagan Speaks Out Against Socialized Medicine) is mentioned heavily.