George H. W. Bush's attempt

With an economic downturn in the 1980s, the middle class were suddenly thrust into the place of the uninsured, underinsured and unable to pay mounting health care costs for the first time. Soon, politicians from across the U.S. were demanding some kind of health care reform, and the Republican President George H. Bush succumbed to the pressure.

His plan included tax credits for low-income people to get insured, included more oversight over private insurers though this was not specific and the creation of purchasing pools for small businesses.

The plan was an attempt to expand private coverage and make it more accessible to everyone. However, the plan did little to address the underlying problem—soaring health care costs. The Conservatives claimed it was a move towards socialized medicine and the Liberals said the plan didn’t lower costs and offered an inferior product. These claims by Democrats were only solidified by the democratic candidates for president, who release their plans for health care reform around the same time. Unfortunately it was too little too late, and Busy lost the election before making any significant changes to health care.