Senator Schachtner: Happy Birthday, Medicare and Medicaid!
Medicare and Medicaid will celebrate their 53rd birthday on
The proposals, packaged together under the Social Security Amendments of 1965, were signed into law by President
At the time, more than 18 million Americans were age 65 or older, and about a third of all seniors lived in poverty. Many seniors feared that medical expenses would wipe out saving and limited incomes, and almost half of Americans aged 65 and older had no health insurance.
During the bill signing,
By the end of 1966, 24 million Americans were insured by Medicare and Medicaid. The programs marked an era of healthier communities and increased financial independence. Just ten years after the 1965 Act, Medicare and Medicaid helped cut the poverty rate among seniors by 47.4 percent.
Despite the success of the programs, federal and state officials have sought to reduce access to health care coverage. The House Republican budget offered this June would cut funding for Medicare by
At the state level, a refusal to expand Medicaid - as 32 states have already done - has cost state taxpayers
Instead of making it harder for individuals to receive health care - and live independent lives - we need to expand access to it. That means protecting Medicare and Medicaid this birthday and beyond.
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