Forand Bill

The Forand Bill was health care legislation put forth several times by Congressman Aime Forand of Rhode Island. It would have called for government-provided compulsory health coverage for anyone over the age of 65.

Speech Relevance

In 'Encroaching Control', Reagan includes several aspects of his Socialized Medicine speech, including discussions of the various plans and bills in Congress. One such bill was the Forand bill.

To that end, the last session of Congress adopted a program known as the Kerr-Mills Bill. To make funds available through the states to provide medical care for that ten percent. Now, without even waiting to see if that program will work, we find that the proponents of this other program, the once defeated Forand Bill, are pleading that the only you can meet the problem of these ten percent is an overall compulsory program forcing all people into compulsory government insurance above age 65 whether they need it or not. We're justified, I believe, in accepting that this federal aid to medical...to a medical program actually is simply an excuse to bring about socialized medicine. As a matter of fact, ex-Congressman Forand by his own words says, "If we can only break through and get our foot inside the door then we can expand the program after that." Walter Reuther has announced that it is no secret that the organization that he represents favors a complete program of national health insurance for all the population. New America, the socialist magazine, has said, "The Forand Bill will not be paid for on insurance principles according to factors of estimated risk. It will be paid for through the tax mechanisms of Social Security. Once the bill is passed, this nation will be provided with a mechanism for socialized medicine."

Source Links

WELFARE: Aid for the Aged (Time Magazine April 4, 1960)

Forand papers