Today is “Presidents’ Day,” but the official federal holiday is still legally known as “Washington’s Birthday.” In 1968, Congress passed the Monday Holiday Law, which shifted most federal holidays to Monday to provide uniformity and three-day weekends for federal employees. People began to refer to the third Monday in February as the Washington-Lincoln Holiday (Abe was also born in February), and then President’s Day, recognizing all presidents (even the not-so-good ones). But it’s officially Washington’s Birthday.
What’s the healthcare angle of all this? That is, what did Washington do about healthcare during his term?
In 1790, President Washington signed a law from the first Congress that required every American ship over a certain tonnage that was engaged in international commerce to “be provided with a chest of medicines, put up by some apothecary of known reputation, and accompanied by directions for administering the same.” The medications had to be regularly inspected and freshly supplied and – this is key – if the medicine chest wasn’t kept properly, “the master or commander of such ship or vessel shall provide and pay for all such advice, medicine, or attendance of physicians, as any of the crew shall stand in need of in case of sickness, at every port or place where the ship or vessel may touch or trade at during the voyage, without any deduction from the wages of such sick seaman or mariner.” That’s health insurance for sailors (without prior authorizations) if their boss doesn’t keep a good supply of medicine on board. Happy birthday, George.