"Jonathan Engel traces the policy debates over healthcare delivery, and the ways of paying for it, that were conducted during the second quarter of the twentieth century in the United States.

Examining the views advanced by doctors, including those unallied with the American Medical Association's position, as well as by "reformers" - academics, public health officers, philanthropists, foundation executives, and independent scholars - Engel displays how the discussion involved much more than the legislative efforts of New Deal Democrats regarding health insurance.".

"Engel draws a vivid picture of the differences between Franklin Roosevelt's and Harry Truman's degree of commitment to advancements in the policy area. Participants in the debates discovered no simple solution to the challenges they explored, however, and their positions above all foreshadow the debate of succeeding decades."--BOOK JACKET.