Last week, Senator Ron Wyden, on behalf of 45 fellow Senators, submitted to the Congressional record a resolution commemorating the 50thanniversary of the Medicare and Medicaid programs. The resolution states, “…as a result of President [Lyndon] Johnson’s call to action and Congress’ bipartisan initiative that created the Medicare program, 54,000,000 seniors and people with disabilities have access to guaranteed health care benefits.”
The resolution also highlights 50 years of work in Congress to protect and improve the Medicare program for all current and future beneficiaries, and states that all future efforts should “build upon President Johnson’s vision ‘to assure the availability of and accessibility to the best healthcare to all Americans, regardless of age or geography or economic status.’ ”
Sen. Wyden reflects on the importance of Medicare and Medicaid and recalls why these programs were created. Fifty years ago less than half of older Americans had health insurance, and “many aging Americans without family to care for them ended up destitute, without necessary health care, or on the street.”
Sen. Wyden concludes, “…that despite sharp differences and partisanship, the Congress of Johnson’s day was able to rise above that culture and those challenges to find agreement and make America a much better place. As this new Congress begins, I hope we can use that 50-year-old spirit to strengthen, protect and improve Medicare and Medicaid to keep the guarantee strong and ensure health care to those who need it most.”