America’s Health Care legislation history can often be defined by several major milestones – one such being Medicare. Medicare is a United States government-administered social insurance program that provides health care coverage to those aged 65 or over, or those with other specific needs. It would appear to me that Medicare is one of the most, if not the most, significant elements of health care legislation in American history, because of the government providing health care to those who needs it most, paid through taxes from those who will need this program in the future.
Medicare was signed into law, along with Medicaid, by President Lyndon Johnson, under the Social Security Act of 1965. This occurred twenty years after then-President Harry Truman sent a message to congress asking for the establishment of a national health insurance plan. As a result of this, at the bill-signing ceremony, Truman became the first Medicare beneficiary, and was given the first Medicare card by President Johnson. About 19 million citizens enrolled in Medicare during its first year. In 1972, amendments to the Social Security Act led to the expansion of Medicare coverage, and in 2003 President George W. Bush signed the Medicare Prescription Drug Improvement and Modernization Act into law, which provided prescription drug benefits to seniors and those living with disabilities.
In order to be eligible for Medicare, you must be a citizen of the United States, or have been living in the United States legally for five year. Age-wise, you either have to be 65 years of age or older, or be 18 or older, and have had Social Security disability benefits for at least two years, or have been diagnosed with Lou Gehrig’s disease or End Stage Renal Disease.
Medicare is made possible, and partially funded, by payroll taxes imposed by the Federal Insurance Contributions Act and the Self-Employment Contributions Act of 1954. These taxes give a portion of you income to Medicare, and, in turn, you are able to partake in the program when you are older. One eligibility requirement of Medicare is having paid Medicare taxes for at least ten years, or four quarters. Some of the benefits to being a part of the Medicare Program are getting hospital insurance, medical insurance, prescription drug plans, and Medicare advantage plans, which is another way for beneficiaries to receive the rest of their benefits.
Medicare was an important milestone in U.S. Health Care history, because, due to the rise in insurance, medical and pharmaceutical costs, it caters to the part of the population that both is at highest risk of needing treatments, and also has less of an ability to afford coverage because of a lack of regular income when retired. Despite having to pay slightly higher taxes, the general population now helps fund those who need help paying, and, in turn, buy into a Health Care program that will become available to them when they need it later on in life.
Works Cited:
"BriefHistoryofMedicare." Senior Citizen News and Information Daily On The Web at SeniorJournal.com. Web. 09 Dec. 2010. <http://seniorjournal.com/NEWS/2000 Files/Aug 00/FTR-08-04-00MedCarHistry.htm>.
"Eligible." A Simple Guide to the New Medicare Part D Prescription Drug Coverage (Part D). Web. 09 Dec. 2010. <http://www.mymedicarematters.org/aboutmedicare/eligible.asp>.
Hareyan, Armen. "The History of Medicare." Emaxhealth: Daily Health News. Web. 09 Dec. 2010. <http://www.emaxhealth.com/72/1272.html>.
"Medicare (United States)." Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Web. 09 Dec. 2010. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Medicare_(United_States)#Taxes_imposed_to_finance_Medicare>.
"Why Is Medicare Important?" Retired Senior Volunteer Program - RSVP Information. Web. 09 Dec. 2010. <http://www.seniorcorps.org/medicare/why-is-medicare important/>.
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