2015 Marks the 50th Anniversary of Medicare. Join us as we celebrate with Medicare Matters: 50 Insights for Medicare’s 50th Anniversary.
Since 1965, Medicare has opened doors to health care and increased economic security for hundreds of millions of older people, people with disabilities, and their families.
Since 1986, the Center for Medicare Advocacy has been on the front lines, advocating for people who depend on Medicare and for a comprehensive Medicare program for future generations. As we mark Medicare’s 50th anniversary, help us ensure its promise to advance access to healthcare. Help us explain what’s true and what’s not, where real savings exist, and when the true interests of beneficiaries are at stake. Help us ensure a real Medicare program lasts for another 50 years.
Medicare Matters: 50 Insights for Medicare’s 50th Anniversary
View in printable text only format.
Inforgraphic: A Visual Timeline of Medicare
The Story of Medicare (KFF.org)
(Kaiser Family Foundation, www.KFF.org)
50 Insights for Medicare’s 50th Anniversary
- 1. Medicare Was Key to Integrating Hospitals
- 2. Medicare Reduced Poverty
- 3. Medicare Saves Lives
- 4. Medicare’s Future Was Strengthened by the Affordable Care Act (ACA)
- 5. Medicare is a Sacred Trust that Must Be Preserved
- 6. Medicare Helps People with Disabilities
- 7. Medicare Beneficiaries are Remarkable
- 8. Medicare is at the Heart of America’s Character
- 9. Medicare is Good. It Could Have Been Even Better.
- 10. Medicare Helps Older and Disabled People Stay Home
- 11. Medicare Helps Low Income People
- 12. Medicare Is a Model for All Health Insurance
- 13. Medicare Increasingly Benefits Private Industry
- 14. Medicare Opened Doors to Care – Let’s Not Really Celebrate Until They’re Opened for Everyone
- 15. Medicare Helps People at the End of Life
- 16. Medicare Was a Precursor to Current Debates about the Role of Government
- 17. Medicare Must Help People Communicate
- 18. Medicare Doesn’t Cover Long-Term Nursing Home Care
- 19. Medicare Has Options: Know What You Need… and What You Want
- 20. Medicare is There When People Need it Most
- 21. Medicare is One of the Greatest Achievements of the 20th Century
- 22. Medicare Needs an Alert Watchdog
- 23. Medicare Should Fill Gaps in Coverage for Oral Health and Other Key Health Services
- 24. Medicare and Prescription Drug Coverage
- 25. Medicare Can Be a Source for LGBT Inclusive Medical Care
- 26. Medicare Needs a Timely Way for Patients to Appeal Hospice Denials
- 27. Medicare Covers Preventive Care
- 28. Medicare Makes Health Care Affordable
- 29. Medicare Needs to Address Enrollment Confusion and Notify People When it’s Time to Enroll
- 30. Medicare Provides Hope for Patients and Families
- 31. Medicare Gives Freedom, Flexibility and Choice
- 32. Medicare is a Success – And Americans Are Willing to Pay for It
- 33. Medicare is a Private–Public Partnership
- 34. Medicare Helps People Help Others
- 35. Medicare Helps Patients Transition from One Care-Setting to Another – But More is Needed
- 36. Medicare Provides Silent Support for Generations
- 37. Medicare Should Be For Everyone
- 38. Medicare Makes Hard Things a Bit Easier
- 39. Medicare Offers Benefits That People Can Count On
- 40. Medicare Lets People with Disabilities Live Their Lives
- 41. Medicare’s Appeals Process Is an Important Beneficiary Protection that Must Be Fixed
- 42. Medicare Provides Economic Security
- 43. Medicare Should Be Allowed to Work
- 44. Medicare to the Rescue
- 46. Medicare Must Continue to Evolve – Add Coverage for Hearing Aids
- 47. Medicare Should Include Drug Coverage in the Traditional Program (and Negotiate Prices)
- 48. Medicare Should Properly Cover Physical, Speech, and Occupational Therapies
- 49. Medicare Beneficiaries are Grateful (A Compilation of Beneficiary Testimonials)
- Medicare is 50!
Other Articles and Updates
- Medicare at 50: Amazing things Accomplished, More to Do – Executive Director Judith Stein, in The Hill
- Medicare at 50: Then and Now – Executive Director Judith Stein, in Talk Poverty
- Blog Post – 50 Years Ago President Johnson Proposed the Medicare Program
- Blog Post – 2015 Marks the 50th Anniversary of Medicare – Help Ensure its Future
- Download our Medicare Infographic – A Visual Timeline of the Medicare Program