By Jason Richie*Published exclusively online

Although the intense debate surrounding health care reform has drawn attention to a variety of important issues, there has been little discussion regarding the denial of coverage to victims of domestic violence. Eight states—including North Carolina, Idaho, Mississippi, Oklahoma, North Dakota, Wyoming, South Carolina, and South Dakota—and the District of Columbia still allow insurers to deny health care coverage to victims of domestic abuse – a practice known as “pinklining.”

By Sarah Cassanego*Published exclusively online

Today’s debate over comprehensive health care reform in the United States suffers from a lack of historical perspective. Many in the public seem to think that the crisis in our health care system recently appeared on the political scene. But in fact, the first calls for universal coverage came not under President Clinton in the 1990’s, or even President Johnson in the 1960’s, but during the Progressive Era – almost a century ago. In 1912, Teddy Roosevelt ran for president as the Progressive Party candidate on a platform that included national health insurance. Irving Fisher, a prominent Yale economist and reform leader, argued in 1917 that health insurance must be universal and obligatory – something he also thought was right around the corner.