Medicare Making its Way

           

             In 1965 people over 65 found it virtually impossible to get private health insurance coverage, thus Medicare was created. Medicare has made access to health care a universal right for Americans 65 or older. “The program was created during an era when the big financial worry was that an illness might put someone in the hospital and generate huge bills. This was a period before the widespread use of prescription drugs to combat illness. The basic design of the Medicare program was modeled on the private insurance system in the 1960s. As the health care system has changed, many would argue that Medicare’s benefits have not kept pace.” (What is the History of Medicare?).

            At first, Medicaid gave medical insurance to people getting cash assistance. Today a much larger group is covered, including low-income families, pregnant women, people of all ages with disabilities, and people who need long-term care. “This Medicare act was signed into law by President Lydon Johnson on July 30, 1965, in Independence, MO.” (Social Security Act Amendments ). Medicare and Medicaid have helped many families, and elderly across the U.S. Although Medicare and Medicaid aren’t the absolute best, they still help tremendously with payments for medications, and doctor visits.

            Many people are skeptical of where the funding for Medicare and Medicaid come from, and the answer for that is payroll taxes paid by most employees, employers, and people who are self-employed, as well as other income taxes paid on Social Security benefits. Although many people complain about things such as welfare being someone not working and getting out money, this is almost the same, but different. Most people that have Medicare or Medicaid really do need the help, and have worked all of their lives, or are physically unable to work. If it wasn’t for this program, these citizens would have to go without some healthcare because of costs.

            Medicare continued to advance as time went on, and in the ‘70s “President Nixon signed into law the first major change to Medicare. The legislation expanded coverage to include individuals under the age of 65 with long-term disabilities and individuals with end-stage renal disease.” (Anderson). In the ‘80s Congress passed the Omnibus Reconciliation Act of 1980, it expanded home health services. The bill also brought Medigap- or Medicare supplement insurance- under federal oversight.” (Anderson). Also in the ‘80s, the hospice services for the terminally ill was added to the list, became more popular and less expensive. This program has advanced so much over the past fifty-one years, from adding different categories of people, to changes in the system to help improve every part of it.

            Although many Americans plan to rely on Medicare to meet their health insurance needs later in life, the program as it stood in 2000 actually covered only half of an average elderly person's medical costs, according to the American Association of Retired Persons (AARP). Medicare does not provide funds for dental, vision, or hearing care, for example, and 97 percent of the time it does not cover nursing home care. And the program faces significant challenges in the coming years as the baby-boom generation reaches retirement age. The question is not whether or not changes will be made but when will they be made and how will they affect future retirees. All Americans need to include some form of contingency planning for post-retirement health care coverage as a part of their retirement planning.

            Even though many people doubt, and complain about our “hard earned” money going to programs like this, even the littlest that it does helps many families and elderly more than we know. We need to be thankful for what we are able to do in life. Be thankful that you’re able to work if you’re under 65. You have to work at some point in your life to be able to become the person you will be in the future.

 

 

                  Works Cited

Anderson, Steve. "A Brief History of Medicare in America". Health Insurance. 26 Oct 2016. healthinsurance.org. Accessed on November 17, 2016.

 

"Social Security Act Amendments" . Our Documents. 1. www.ourdocuments.gov. Accessed on November 18, 2016.

 

"What is the History of Medicare?". NASI. www.nasi.org. Accessed on Novemeber 16, 2016