Rashi Fein facts for kids

Rashi Fein (February 6, 1926 – September 8, 2014) was an American health economist. He was known as "a father of Medicare" in the United States. Medicare is a government program that helps people pay for their health care.

Fein was a professor at Harvard Medical School. He taught about the economics of medicine. He also wrote a book called Medical Care, Medical Costs: The Search for a Health Insurance Policy.

His work focused on many important areas. These included how to pay for health care and how to make sure everyone has access to it. He also studied how to control health care costs.

Rashi Fein was the brother of Leonard Fein, a writer and activist. Leonard taught at MIT. Rashi Fein passed away from melanoma in Boston.

Rashi Fein's Career Journey

Rashi Fein started serving the United States during World War II. He was in the US Navy. After the war, he spent a lot of time thinking about health care. He wanted to make health care better for everyone.

In 1952, he was part of the Truman Commission. This group supported the idea of national health insurance. This means the government would help pay for health care for all citizens.

Later, from 1961 to 1963, he worked for President John F. Kennedy. He helped create the first laws for Medicare. He believed in Medicare throughout his life.

Fein was also a founding member of the Institute of Medicine (IOM). This is a group that gives advice on health and medicine. He wrote nine books about health care and economics. His last book, Lessons Learned: Medicine, Economics and Public Policy, came out in 2009.

He joined the faculty at Harvard Medical School in 1968. He also worked at the John F. Kennedy School of Government. He was a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution in Washington, D.C..

Fein led a program for health policy researchers from 1994 to 2002. He shared many stories and lessons from his long career. These stories were collected in his final book.

He was admired by his colleagues for his humor. He often shared funny stories from his life and work. These stories often came from Jewish culture.

Rashi Fein's Achievements and Education

Rashi Fein had a strong educational background. He also held many important professional roles.

His Education

• B.A. from Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, MD (1948)
• Ph.D. in political economy from Johns Hopkins University (1956)
• M.A. from Harvard University (1976)
• Received an honorary Doctor of Letters from the State University of New York (1996)

His Professional Roles

• Worked for President Harry S. Truman's Commission on Health Needs (1952).
• Taught economics at the University of North Carolina (1952-1961).
• Directed a project on the economics of mental illness (1957-1958).
• Worked as a statistician for the U.S. Bureau of the Census (1958-1959).
• Served as a senior staff member for President John F. Kennedy's Council of Economic Advisers (1961-1963).
• Was a senior fellow at The Brookings Institution (1963-1968).
• Became a Professor of Economics of Medicine at Harvard Medical School (1968-1999).
• Also taught at the Harvard Kennedy School of Government (1968-1999).
• Became Professor Emeritus at Harvard Medical School in 1995.

Awards and Recognitions

Rashi Fein received many awards for his important work.

• He was a founding member of the Institute of Medicine (IOM) in 1970.
• He also helped start the National Academy of Social Insurance.
• He received many honors for his writings on medical economics.
• He got a Traveling Fellowship from the World Health Organization in 1971.
• He received the John M. Russell Medal in 1971 for advancing medical knowledge.
• He was given the Martin E. Rehfuss Medal for his service to medicine.
• He delivered the Heath Clark Lecture in London in 1980.
• He received an award from the Johns Hopkins University Alumni Association in 1999.
• In 2000, he earned a Lifetime Achievement Award for promoting health care rights.
• He also received the Adam Yarmolinsky Medal from the Institute of Medicine in 2000.
• In 2009, he received the Debs-Thomas-Bernstein Awards in Boston.

See also

• Social Security Administration