Health Care History, Policies & Programs

The United States is one of the only wealthy, industrialized nations that does not provide access to health care for all its citizens, yet attempts to reform the system and expand access have historically met with bitter opposition. This module provides a tongue-in-cheek look at efforts to repeal the ACA, a unique glossary of terms with graphic art, an extensive timeline of the evolution of health care in America, and information about the Medicaid program.  

At the conclusion of this video/graphic series, participants will be able to:

  1. Understand the historical evolution of health care delivery in the U.S.

  2. Understand and evaluate the size, scope, impacts, and major components of the Medicaid program.

  3. Assess the many implications of the Covid pandemic on health and well-being in the U.S.

  4. Recognize and define major terms related to health care policy and programs in the U.S.

  5. Recognize the roles that discrimination and politics play in the delivery of health care services.

  6. Understand the primary components of Anti-Poverty Medicine and important health provisions in the Inflation Reduction Act

Estimated Time to Complete video series:  Up to 6 hours (6 CE credits) 

Note: All course content must be viewed to the end and a brief evaluation completed before the CE certificate can be issued.

Price: $60

Course Curriculum

  • 1

    Health Care in America

    • Opening

    • Health Care in America: Timeline

    • Interactives: Health Care Timeline

    • Medicaid by the Numbers

    • Medicaid During the Coronavirus Pandemic

    • Drawing the Line: The Opioid Epidemic in America

    • Liar, Liar Meets ACA Repeal

    • A Plague Upon Us

    • Covid Timeline (with interactives)

    • Disparities in African American Health & Well-Being

    • Mr. Richarte Goes to the Hospital

    • Health Care Glossary & Graphic

    • Relief Policies During the Coronavirus Pandemic

    • The Opioid Epidemic in the Coronavirus Epidemic

    • Flashcards: Health Care Glossary Simple Terms

    • Flashcards: Abbreviations

    • 7 Important Health Provisions in the Inflation Reduction Act (with interactives)

    • What is Anti-Poverty Medicine?

    • Evaluation

About the instructor

Miguel Ferguson

Founder, OfCourse!

Miguel Ferguson

Hello, my name is Miguel Ferguson. My teaching career began at the high school level but for the last 20 years I have taught courses in Social Welfare Policy, Poverty, and Social Justice in leading schools of social work. I founded OfCourse! to make dynamic information on these topics accessible to students and busy instructors. OfCourse! content is engaging and up to date and each lesson comes with "Interactives" (drag-and-drop, fill-in-the-blank, drop-down menu choices, etc). OfCourse! materials are fun and engaging and designed to help busy teachers inform and inspire students with interactive and easy-to-use content. Dr. Ferguson is also the author of two popular books on the intersection of policy and community change ("Caught in the Storm" and "Navigating Policy & Practice in the Great Recession") and a graphic novel on the Abraham Lincoln Brigade in the Spanish Civil War ("¡Brigadistas!").