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COMMEMORATING THE 56TH ANNIVERSARY OF MEDICARE AND MEDICAID
______
HON. SHEILA JACKSON LEE
of texas
in the house of representatives
Friday, July 30, 2021
Ms. JACKSON LEE. Madam Speaker, I rise to commemorate the 56th Anniversary of the passage of Medicaid and Medicare, two of the most beneficial and consequential government programs ever launched.
On July 30, 1965, President Lyndon B. Johnson signed Medicare and Medicaid into law as part of the Social Security Act and in the process made good on the commitments made by Presidents Theodore Roosevelt, Franklin Roosevelt, Harry Truman, and John Kennedy to provide health security to Americans in their old age.
Medicare is a promise kept to those who have contributed a lifetime to our nation could enjoy their golden years with peace of mind and the security of reliable, affordable, and high quality healthcare.
Likewise, Medicaid created a crucial partnership between the government and the people to provide a basic health care safety net for the most vulnerable Americans: children of adults with low incomes, persons with disabilities, and the poor.
Madam Speaker, 56 years later, the legacy of these programs have I proven how effective and critical government action can be to the life and wellbeing of our nation's most vulnerable.
In 1965, almost half of all Americans aged 65 and older had no health coverage, living in fear that the colossal healthcare costs would drive them and their families into poverty.
Today, because of Medicare, over 98 percent of seniors have health insurance, which has led to a five-year increase in life expectancy for those over 65.
Today, 55 million Americans rely on Medicare for health care, ranging from preventive services, hospital visits, lab tests, to critical medical supplies, and prescription drugs.
It is difficult for some to imagine what 1965 was really like, when today affordable, accessible and available health insurance is a reality for so many people living with disabilities.
Before Medicaid was enacted children from poor families, pregnant I women, and low-income working Americans were not able to afford even the most basic medical care they needed to remain healthy and productive.
When the legislation was first passed, many claimed that Medicaid would not live up to its promise; but today, because of expansion of Medicaid through passage of the Affordable Care Act the program provides comprehensive coverage for over 70 million children, pregnant women, low-income adults, and people living with disabilities.
Madam Speaker, it cannot be seriously disputed that Medicare and Medicaid have changed our country and made it better.
In my home state of Texas and in communities across the country, both programs have significantly changed the lives and improved health outcomes of many Americans over the past century and represent the best of American values.
Unfortunately, Texas has the highest percentage of uninsured in the nation, and Texas' refusal to participate in the Medicaid expansion created by the Affordable Care act puts the poor residents in my state in Jeopardy.
So the 56th anniversary of Medicaid is bittersweet for Texans because while we celebrate a program that has saved lives, helped people live longer, expanded care to marginalized communities, and reduced disparities in access to healthcare, thousands of low income Texans still do not have the peace of mind that comes with access to affordable, quality health care enjoyed by low-income residents of states that have expanded their Medicaid program with funds made possible by the Affordable Care Act.
In the 18th Congressional District of Texas there are 195,400 persons with Medicaid and 74,704 with medical care provided by Medicare.
Madam Speaker, my constituents favor the Affordable Care Act because they understand the insecurity and feeling of helplessness of being uninsured or underinsured.
Like Medicare and Medicaid, the Affordable Care Act, or
``Obamacare,'' was vehemently opposed and derided by its adversaries, who said it was too costly, would not work, was unnecessary, or would change the character of America for the worse.
Like the critics of Social Security, Medicare, and the G.I. Bill, all of whom are silent now, they are wrong.
The Affordable Care Act has been an unqualified success.
This historic legislation has extended affordable health coverage to tens of millions of Americans and has helped to bring peace of mind to many of those for whom relief seemed far out of reach.
The Affordable Care Act was driven by a simple premise: that citizens of the most prosperous nation on earth should not be forced to choose between their health and their financial security.
Since the passage of the ACA in 2010, the number of uninsured , Americans has fallen by nearly one-third, or roughly 16 million people.
These Americans come from all walks of life.
They are women, who can no longer be denied coverage or be forced to pay exorbitant amounts for coverage simply because of their sex.
They are nine million seniors and persons with disabilities, who have saved an average of $1,600 on expensive and lifesaving prescription medication.
And they are this country's most at risk citizens; people who are working hard and struggling make ends meet while living in near-
poverty, and who have been covered by Medicaid expansion in 32 states and the District of Columbia.
These benefits have been felt across the country, especially in my home state of Texas:
1. 10. 7 million individuals with pre-existing conditions such as asthma, cancer, or diabetes--including up to 1,632,000 children--no longer have to worry about being denied coverage or charged higher prices because of their health status or history;
2. 4.9 million uninsured Texans have new health insurance options through Medicaid or private health plans in the ACA Marketplace; and
3. 5.2 million persons on private insurance have gained coverage for at least one free preventive health care service such as a mammogram, birth control, or an immunization in 2011 and 2012.
In addition to the tangible healthcare benefits for millions of families, the ACA has had powerful effects on the financial state of our nation.
Since the passage of the Affordable Care Act, we have extended the solvency of the Medicare Trust fund by more than a decade and helped save taxpayers $116 billion through new Medicare efficiencies.
The Department of Health and Human Services has estimated that hospitals saved more than $5.7 billion in costs that would have normally gone unpaid by patients without insurance.
Contrary to the claims of the ACA's critics, private insurance companies have leaped at the opportunity to compete for business among the newly insured, and the healthcare industry has boomed.
Through all of these successes, however, House Republicans remained obsessed with destroying this law, and unraveling the security it provides to millions of Americans.
Medicare and Medicaid also continue to drive innovation and set the standard for coverage, quality, and innovation in American healthcare.
Madam Speaker, Medicare and Medicaid continue to play crucial roles in providing equitable and affordable healthcare, leading innovation in payment and delivery reform, carrying out outreach to the most vulnerable communities, and reshaping the delivery of care for the future.
Because of these programs, more Americans have access to affordable, equitable health care today than at any point in our history.
And I am committed to making sure that number will continue to grow.
On this 56th anniversary of Medicare and Medicaid, we should remember that a healthy America is a prosperous America.
And as we look ahead to the next half century, we can celebrate that what was put in place in 1965 has given us the foundation for a healthy and prosperous future for all Americans.
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SOURCE: Congressional Record Vol. 167, No. 134
The Congressional Record is a unique source of public documentation. It started in 1873, documenting nearly all the major and minor policies being discussed and debated.
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