50th Anniversary of the Signing of the Medicare and Medicaid Legislation

On July 30, 1965 President Lyndon B. Johnson signed into law the legislation establishing the Medicare and Medicaid programs.  In his opening remarks to the recent White House Conference on Aging, President Obama stated:

“So one of the best measures of a country is how it treats its older citizens.  And by that measure, the United States has a lot to be proud of.  Medicare, Medicaid, Social Security are some of our greatest triumphs as a nation.  When Social Security was signed into law, far too many seniors were living in poverty.  When Medicare was created, only a little more than half of all seniors had some form of insurance.  Before Medicaid came along, families often had no help paying for nursing home costs.  Today, the number of seniors in poverty has fallen dramatically.  Every American over 65 has access to affordable health care.”

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services press release on this historic anniversary includes an invitation to the public to participate in the celebration by sharing stories of how Medicare and Medicaid have made a difference.

Contact: Patrick Cucinelli, pcucinelli@leadingageny.org, 518-867-8827