[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 161 (2015), Part 9]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 13369]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




       RECOGNIZING THE 50TH ANNIVERSARY OF MEDICAID AND MEDICARE

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                        HON. WILLIAM R. KEATING

                            of massachusetts

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, July 29, 2015

  Mr. KEATING. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in recognition of the 50th 
anniversary of Medicare and Medicaid.
  In 1965, President Lyndon Johnson signed the Social Security Act into 
law--establishing the groundbreaking programs of Medicare and Medicaid 
and guaranteeing that a wide range of health and medical services would 
be available to millions of Americans previously ineligible or unable 
to attain basic healthcare.
  Prior to this law, over half of our nation's seniors did not have 
access to health insurance. Yet one year after its establishment, 19 
million seniors and disabled individuals were provided coverage. That 
figure has grown dramatically; for the last half century, Medicare and 
Medicaid have provided vital healthcare services to countless seniors, 
individuals with disabilities and low-income families. By 2014, 54 
million Americans relied on Medicare for quality health care and 
economic security, while 69 million--including one in three children--
are benefited by Medicaid and its services.
  Mr. Speaker, please join me in celebrating the 50th anniversary of 
Medicare and Medicaid. I look forward to continuing to strengthen and 
protect Medicare and Medicaid to ensure that the promise of health and 
economic security will be there for generations to come.

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