[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 106 (Friday, July 29, 2005)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1744-E1745]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                      THE ANNIVERSARY OF MEDICARE

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. JOHN D. DINGELL

                              of michigan

                    in the house of representatives

                         Friday, July 29, 2005

  Mr. DINGELL. Mr. Speaker, I am honored to commemorate 40 years of 
Medicare. This birthday represents 40 years of dignity for the elderly 
and individuals with disabilities who depend on this program for their 
health care. No one in this great Nation should have to suffer because 
of lack of medical care or become impoverished due to the high costs of 
that care. On July 30, 1965, Medicare and Medicaid were enacted as part 
of the Social Security Act to take care of our most vulnerable and 
needy citizens. On that historic day, President Lyndon B. Johnson 
signed a law that gave millions of Americans the ability to seek 
treatment from doctors and in hospitals without fear of destitution.
  Today, Medicare provides health insurance security for nearly 42 
million Americans, including more than 35 million senior citizens and 6 
million individuals with disabilities under the age of 65. Over the 
past 40 years, 105 million Americans have enjoyed better health and 
received higher quality care as a result of Medicare.
  Who depends on Medicare today? The men and women who served our 
Nation in time of war; widows and widowers; those Americans who have 
worked a lifetime to build this Nation and who now live in retirement; 
the former police officers and fire fighters, nurses, doctors, 
teachers, lawyers, and small business owners who were the backbone of 
our communities; our aging parents and grandparents, and in some 
instances, their disabled children. Medicare is a program that touches 
all of us.
  Medicare is not just another health insurance program, but one of the 
leading insurers in our Nation. Private health plans have modeled their 
benefits after Medicare, from quality requirements to payments and 
reimbursements, to standards for certification. The Medicare program 
has not only greatly improved the quality and safety of health care for 
all Americans, but it has proven to be a remarkably efficient program, 
with administrative costs less than those in private plans.
  Last year Congress added prescription drug coverage to round out the 
services provided by Medicare. Coverage of prescription medications was 
clearly a needed addition. I believe, however, that the design of the 
new program may keep beneficiaries from getting what they need. I have 
deep concerns over the unnecessary complexities of this law and whether 
it will truly provide affordable access to prescription drugs. I also 
appreciate that we must update Medicare to meet the changing landscape 
of health care, but not at the expense

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of those who depend upon it. I plan to continue to work hard to ensure 
that the Medicare program continues to provide Americans with the 
health care they both need and deserve.
  On a personal note, this 40th anniversary makes me think of my dad, 
John Dingell, Sr., who fought throughout his 22 years in Congress for 
health programs that helped those with the greatest needs. He fought 
long and hard to enact the Social Security program, which he sponsored 
and which made such a difference to Americans who are retired or 
disabled. He also helped plant the seeds of compassion in Congress that 
eventually led to the enactment of Medicare and Medicaid. Were he here 
today, I know he would take up the battle to preserve and improve 
Medicare--a program that has served so many and improved the health of 
the Nation--as well as Medicaid, which serves those whose voices are 
rarely heard in the halls of power.

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