Medicare

Medicare

The Social Security Act of 1965 was signed into law on July 30, 1965, by President Lyndon B. Johnson as amendments to existing Social Security legislation. This legislation established the Medicare program.

Medicare is a social insurance program administered by the United States government, providing health insurance coverage to people who are aged 65 and over; to those who are under 65 and are permanently physically disabled or who have a congenital physical disability; or to those who meet other special criteria. The "Original Medicare" plan, i.e. Medicare without Medicare Advantage added on, coverage extends to 80% of any given medical cost; the remaining 20% of cost must be paid either a Medicare Advantage plan, which is a "supplemental insurance" from a private health insurance company, or with out-of-pocket via the patient's own personal funds.

Cry Wolf Quotes

Medicare would be strictly a tax program, forcing wage earners to pay a substantial in their payroll taxes to finance hospitalization for everyone over 65, including those who are wealthy and millions of others who are already protected with hospital insurance.

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AMA President Dr. Edward R. Annis.
01/08/1964 | Full Details | Law(s): Medicare

One of the traditional methods of imposing statism or socialism has been by way of medicine….If you don't do this, one of these days you and I are going to spend our sunset years telling our children and our children's children what it was like in American when men were free.

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From Ronald Reagan’s 1961 taped anti-Medicare message, “Ronald Reagan Speaks Out Against Socialized Medicine” paid for by AMA and AMPAC.
01/01/1961 | Full Details | Law(s): Medicare

Will you resist the temptation to get a government handout for your community? Realize that the doctor's fight against socialized medicine is your fight. We can't socialize the doctors without socializing the patients. Recognize that government invasion of public power is eventually an assault upon your own business.

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Ronald Reagan
10/27/1964 | Full Details | Law(s): Medicare

I have always maintained that if a program is to be successful, it must... be voluntary... based on need and must not be financed through a payroll tax.

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Sen. Thruston B. Morton (R-KY).
08/08/1965 | Full Details | Law(s): Medicare