ASHP history

Originally called the Wartime Services Bureau, the office's original purpose was to ensure hospitals had adequate supplies during rationing and shortages during WWII. The office was renamed the Washington Service Bureau in June 1944.

They assessed their members an extra $25 each to resist national health insurance, and in 1945 they spent $1.5 million on lobbying efforts which at the time was the most expensive lobbying effort in American history.

In 1946, the Republicans took control of Congress and had no interest in enacting national health insurance.

Truman responded by focusing even more attention on a national health bill in the 1948 election.

Finally, Rhode Island congressman Aime Forand introduced a new proposal in 1958 to cover hospital costs for the aged on social security.

By 1960, the government started tracking National Health Expenditures (NHE) and calculated them as a percentage of Gross Domestic Product (GDP). At the start of the decade, NHE accounted for 5 percent of GDP.

The law represented the most significant overhaul and expansion of healthcare coverage since the passage of Medicare and Medicaid back in 1965.

Since 1967, the American Organization of Nurse Executives (AONE) has provided leadership, professional development, advocacy and research to advance nursing practice and patient care, promote nursing leadership excellence and shape public policy for health care nationwide.

A chance for members to hear firsthand from political leaders in the administration and Congress coupled with Hill visits so congressional representatives and their staff hear firsthand from health care leaders in their states and districts, the Annual Meeting has been held every year since 1970.

In 1971, Senator Edward (Ted) Kennedy proposed a single-payer plan (a modern version of a universal, or compulsory system) that would be funded through taxes.

By 1980, NHE accounted for 8.9 percent of GDP, an even larger leap than the decade prior.

By 1990, NHE accounted for 12.1 percent of GDP — the largest increase thus far in the history of healthcare.

Owen served as acting CEO in 1991.

After a period of debate toward the end of 1993, Congress left for winter recess with no conclusions or decisions, leading to the bill’s quiet death.

In 1996, Clinton signed the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), which established privacy standards for individuals.

The Coalition to Protect America’s Health Care was formed in 2000 to protect access to the best quality health care for all Americans.

Early in his career an AHA staff member and later president and CEO of Providence Services and an AHA chair officer, Rich Umbdenstock became AHA's chief executive officer in 2007.

The first open enrollment season for the Marketplace started in October 2013, and it was rocky, to say the least.

AHA's long-time executive vice president for government relations and public policy, Rick Pollack becomes AHA's chief executive officer in 2015.

Nevertheless, 8 million people signed up for insurance through the ACA Marketplace during the first open enrollment season, with enrollment peaking in 2016 at 12.2 million (with 10 million of those receiving subsidies to help pay for insurance).

Since Donald Trump was sworn in as the 45th President of the United States on January 20, 2017, many have questioned what would happen with our healthcare system — specifically, what would happen to the ACA, since Donald Trump ran on a platform of “repealing and replacing” the bill.

Hungry to notch a win on healthcare prior to the 2020 election, the Trump administration continues to push ahead on initiatives designed to reign-in healthcare costs.