[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 160 (2014), Part 10]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 13714]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




             COMMEMORATING THE 49TH ANNIVERSARY OF MEDICARE

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. SHEILA JACKSON LEE

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, July 30, 2014

  Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to commemorate the 49th 
anniversary of Medicare, one of the most popular and successful social 
insurance programs in the history of the United States.
  When President Lyndon Johnson signed it into law on July 30, 1965, 
less than 50 percent of seniors had health insurance and 35 percent 
lived in poverty.
  Now, over 52.4 million Americans are given health care benefits 
regardless of their condition or income.
  This includes over 40 million Americans age 65 or above and 9 million 
disabled Americans receiving Social Security benefits.
  Medicare saves lives and money, and here is why.
  Since its creation Medicare has provided comprehensive health care 
coverage for the senior citizens who cannot afford it.
  Without Medicare, most seniors would not have insurance and be unable 
to afford health care due to high costs or pre-existing conditions.
  It provides 37 million seniors prescription drug coverage and offers 
free preventive health screenings, including mammograms, diabetes, or 
cancer screenings now thanks to the Affordable Care Act.
  Medicare is not welfare. It is an cost-effective social program that 
works.
  In combination with the Affordable Care Act, I believe that 
Medicare's future is even brighter.
  These improved benefits include incentives for doctors and health 
care providers to coordinate more smoothly, reduce waste and fraud, and 
lower out of pocket costs for beneficiaries.
  Forty-nine years after its inception, the program continues to do its 
job and I hope that we can continue to support it.

                          ____________________