HR3590 Health Care Bill & Government Health Insurance

In addition to the ad that features Andy Griffith, the 45th anniversary of Medicare brought a post from Don Berwick, M.D., the administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, on HealthCare.gov. He shared a quick history of Medicare and what Medicare will be able to offer through the new health care reform law.

Medicare was signed into law by President Lyndon B. Johnson on July 30, 1965, through the signing of the Social Security Act of 1965. Before the passage of the law that instituted Medicare, millions of American senior citizens were uninsured; the amendments to Social Security legislation guaranteed health care services for senior citizens and people with disabilities.

In attendance during the bill-signing ceremony were former President Harry S. Truman and his wife, Bess. After the ceremony, President Johnson enrolled President Truman as the first Medicare beneficiary, with his wife, Bess, as the second; President Truman also received the first Medicare card.

Just as the signing of Medicare into law revolutionized America’s health care system, the passage of the Affordable Care Act also stands to leave the same lasting mark. It promises to bring improvements to the health care system by making health care more affordable and accessible to Americans.

These improvements will also find its way to Medicare services, according to Dr. Berwick. Medicare beneficiaries will be able to enjoy more benefits, which will include preventive care, on top of current guaranteed Medicare benefits. Medicare under health care reform also promises lower cost of drugs and better quality care, as well as a reduction in waste and fraud.