On this day 60 years ago, Medicare and Medicaid were signed into law to create a national health insurance plan for the elderly, the disabled and those with limited income. Medicare and Medicaid recruited nearly 20 million beneficiaries in the first three years; today, Medicare enrollment exceeds 68 million and Medicaid exceeds 71 million. These programs have been very popular in the ongoing public pressure and organizations of labor unions and older adults: Recent polls have shown that 82% of U.S. adults are good for Medicare, while 97% believe Medicaid is important to people in their local communities.
Context and through
In the Industrial Revolution and the urbanization of the country, especially in the shadow of the Great Depression, Americans increasingly support public aid programs to alleviate widespread economic insecurity and support the growing number of older people. The Social Security Act passed a modest response to these public demands in 1935. It establishes a federal retirement income program for adults aged 65 and over and is funded by their payroll taxes. The bill also includes provisions on unemployment insurance, assistance for raising children, and state-level medical services.
In the shadow of the Great Depression, Americans are increasingly supporting public aid programs to alleviate widespread economic insecurity.
Several pioneers of Medicare and Medicaid were introduced in the 1950s and 1960s as people realized the need for affordable healthcare. The Social Security Amendment of 1950 and the Kerr-Mills Act of 1960 provide federal funding for health care covering people who receive social assistance. The latter created economically employed medical assistance programs for the elderly, and the threshold for eligibility was lower than that of the general welfare programs at that time. In 1964, the USDA established the Supplementary Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), providing food assistance to low-income families and reducing food insecurity and health care costs.
The Social Security Amendment was then adopted by the 1965 Social Security Amendment. In its original form, Medicare is covered by Part A (Inpatient) and Part B medical (Outpatient) insurance, combined with Americans aged 65 and older for payroll taxes and general income. Medicaid establishes health coverage for certain categories of low-income populations, and is jointly funded by state and federal governments. In 1965, Medicare created the Civil Rights Act of the previous year, driving hospitalizations across the country, and the program continues to reduce racial and racial disparities in health care access and coverage.
Medicare continues to reduce racial and racial disparities in healthcare access and coverage.
Extensions and related legislation
In the decades since the establishment of Medicare and Medicaid, modifications and related health care legislation have updated the program and expanded its scope. In 1972, Medicare eligibility was expanded to include people with disabilities or end-stage renal disease, regardless of age. The Balanced Budget Act of 1997 (BBA 97) established the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), which, as a joint federal national program, extended health insurance to children in low-income families who do not qualify for Medicaid. Medicare Part C, now known as Medicare Advantage (MA), was also created by BBA 97 and allows private healthcare programs to contract with the federal government to provide more different coverage. The private plan also passed the Medicare Modernization Act in 2003, providing Part D prescription drug coverage for original Medicare and MA beneficiaries.
The ACA regulations improve the quality and coordination of Medicare and Medicaid.
The Landmark Affordable Care Act (ACA), passed in 2010, implemented a comprehensive set of medical reforms that expanded coverage across the country. The creation of the health insurance market makes the coverage of Medicare more accessible to those covered by Medicare, Medicaid or private insurance. The expansion of Medicaid eligibility, which came into effect in 2014, greatly improving health coverage in participating states. Further ACA provisions improve the quality and coordination of Medicare and Medicaid by strengthening consumer protection for preventive health care, drug coverage and health insurance. The 2022 Inflation Reduction Act further reforms Part D coverage, reduces costs through federal price negotiations, increases access to vaccines, and expands eligibility requirements for low-income subsidy assistance programs.
Medicare and Medicaid today
In the years since the ACA was adopted, federal policies have both strengthened and threatened health care and were threatened. Affordability measures under the Inflation Reduction Act and an increasing number of countries adopting Medicaid expansion policies mark important and encouraging progress. However, through administrative actions and the recently passed budget bill, the incumbent government has targeted and eliminated many recent reforms. Recipients of Childhood Action (DACA) protection obtained only a few months ago are among the numerous categories of legal immigrants. Recent legislation also reduces retrospective coverage of traditional and expands Medicaid, leaving people with unbearable bills for the periods they should have.
We hear every day from current and potential health insurance beneficiaries who are working to get the care and insurance they deserve.
At the Medicare Rights Center, we hear from current and potential Medicare beneficiaries who are working to get the care and insurance they deserve. Covering gaps, heavy bureaucracy, and lack of information make health care unaccessible and unbearable for many people. Cost assisted programs, such as Medicare savings plans and low-income subsidies, can provide much-needed relief by saving beneficiaries out of pocket, but they are insufficient and require higher awareness and easier registration process. Medicare must include dental, vision and hearing coverage in order to provide true full coverage for older people and people with disabilities. Federal policy must regulate the benefits of Medicare payments and implement on-site reimbursement to prioritize the sustainability of Medicare.
The government has a responsibility to protect and strengthen Medicare and Medicaid.
It is the responsibility of the government to protect and strengthen Medicare and Medicaid rather than to remove or limit its coverage. Sixty years after the establishment of Medicare and Medicaid, we celebrate the progress made in these programs, but know that there is still much more to work to ensure accessible and affordable healthcare for all elderly and disabled people.
