RUNNING HEAD: Medicare
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Medicare
Michelle Beltran, Kiana Vega, Brianna Vanloon
Alvernia University
Medicare
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Abstract
Medicare has helped millions of Americans since 1965, helping senior citizens over the
age of 65, and with constant changes and laws added, Medicare since then has helped younger
adults with long-term disabilities and end-stage renal disease. Medicare is composed of different
parts. Starting out with Medicare part A and B, and later on Part, C and D were added, which
will be fully explained in the paper. Medicare’s history will be thoroughly explained, from when
it first came into existence, its development throughout the years, and the current status in
today’s age. The different parts of Medicare will be explained, and what they mean, as well as
how they benefit people. Lastly, the funding treatment and financial issues will also be
discussed throughout the paper.
Medicare
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Medicare may be a complex topic to understand, but by defining it and explaining its
history and how it works, one may be able to understand it better. The way Medicare works is
by providing health insurance to Americans age 65 and older, and to younger people with certain
disabilities or health conditions (Stanton, 2013). Medicare has been around for a long time, but
its history dates back even earlier than when it was first introduced to the U.S back in the
1960s. The discussion about a national health insurance for Americans goes back to the days of
President Teddy Roosevelt, whose main goal and platform was health insurance when he first
ran for president in 1912. Unfortunately, the idea did not gain steam until it was pushed by
President Harry S. Truman (Anderson, 2016). Truman envisioned America with a Health Care
system that would benefit all citizens and provide health insurance funding for those in
need. “On November 19, 1945, seven months into his presidency, Truman sent a message to
Congress, calling for the creation of a national health insurance fund, open to all Americans. The
plan Truman envisioned would provide health coverage to individuals, paying for such typical
expenses as doctor visits, hospital visits, laboratory services, dental care and nursing services
(Anderson, 2016, p. 1). Although Truman tried to pass the bill during his term, he was,
unfortunately, unsuccessful. Truman tried to get a bill passed during his term, but it was denied,
and it was another 20 years before some form of national health insurance, would become a
reality (Anderson, 2016). After Truman’s attempt came the years of President John F.
Kennedy. In 1961, President John F. Kennedy recommended creating a national health
insurance program specifically for those over 65. Then in May 1962, Kennedy gives a speech
about the need for Medicare for senior citizens, but it wasn’t until President Lyndon B Johnson
that Americans started receiving Medicare health coverage (Stanton, 2013). “The 1964
elections—Democrat Lyndon Johnson won the presidency in a landslide and Democrats gained
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wide majorities in both the House and Senate, thereby breaking the hold of the conservative
coalition—ended the impasse over Medicare, leading to its 1965 enactment” (Oberlander, 2015,
p. 121). After years of trying to pass a bill for health care coverage for Americans, a bill was
finally approved and passed for Medicare, to help senior citizens over the age of 65, or younger
adults with certain disabilities, to be able to get the medical attention needed and have the help of
the government to help pay the expenses.
When President Lyndon Johnson signed Medicare into law on July 30, 1965, he declared,
no longer will older Americans be denied the healing miracle of modern medicine, and with that
promise, Medicare has delivered. Over the past fifty years, Medicare has provided tens of
millions of older Americans with a crucial measure of financial security and access to medical
care. Furthermore, since 1972, Medicare has provided coverage to persons with permanent
