FDR advocated universal health care, but what with everything else (like a World War to fight), he hadn't yet got around to pushing it very hard for it when he died. Harry S. Truman (good ol' "give 'em hell Harry!") advocated it strongly, but the AMA and its mignons had a wall-eyed hissy fit, called it "Socialized Medicine," implying that the next step was a Communist takeover, and came up with the usual litany about "death panels" and such. No go!

I remember all the screaming and shouting in the late Forties.

It was a hard damned fight before Medicare made it through.

Don Firth